Research On Fromm’s Theory Of "Escape From Freedom"

With the rapid development of the western society and Advanced technology,the contradiction of capitalist society are also increasingly prominent,the gap between rich and poor is widening,the pace of life is accelerating,competition is becoming increasingly fierce,more and more people’s psychological pressure and the spirit of depression is increasing.It is a worth pondering question to how to alleviate the mental pressure,avoid the psychological deformity,treat the problem of freedom correctly and ease the contradictions of capitalist society.As an important representative of Freudian Marxism,Fromm made a profound analysis of the state of freedom of modern people on the basis of a synthesis of Freudism and Marxism,and creatively proposed the theory of "escaping from freedom".The theory has brought enlightenment for people to pursue freedom and solve problems in the development of modern society.This article studies Fromm’s theory of "escaping from freedom" from four parts,hoping to absorb positive and beneficial theoretical essence through the study of the theory,overcome the disadvantages of bias,and provide reference for solving some problems in the development process of modern society.Fromm’s theory of "escaping from freedom" cannot be separated from the environment of his time,the two cruel world wars,the economic crisis of the capitalist world and the alienation of society,which made people live in great distress,suffering not only physically but also mentally.The loneliness,anxiety,and powerlessness brought to people by the realistic historical environment make people have to choose to escape reality and the formal freedom granted by capitalist society.Under such a historical background,Fromm put forward the theory of "escaping from freedom" based on Freud’s subconscious theory,instinct theory,personality theory,Marx’s historical materialism,alienated labor theory and freedom view,combined with his own experience.To understand Fromm’s theory of "escaping from freedom",we must first understand the three basic concepts he put forward-"negative freedom" which is not bound by the outside world,"positive freedom" which is autonomy and voluntary,and "escaping from freedom" which is lonely,anxious and powerless.On the basis of grasping the three basic concepts,this paper explores the reasons of "escaping from freedom" : on the one hand,it is the political,economic and cultural alienation of capitalist society;on the other hand,it is the individual process of human beings,pointing out the social and psychological root of "escaping from freedom".Finally,Fromm pointed out three psychological mechanisms for people to "escape from freedom" : authoritarianism,destructiveness,and mechanical convergence.Through the analysis of the causes of "escaping from freedom" and the three psychological mechanisms,Fromm proposed ways to obtain positive freedom from the personal dimension and the social dimension.On the personal dimension,it is necessary to improve people’s enthusiasm,initiative and creativity,shape a sound personality,and overcome loneliness,anxiety and impotence by cultivating the art of love and developing creative work.In the social dimension,it is necessary to establish a sound society and provide a good social environment for people to realize positive freedom through economic,political,cultural and other reforms.On the basis of inheriting the excellent thoughts of his predecessors,Fromm proposed the theoretical system of "escaping from freedom" in a unique way,which made people’s understanding of freedom completely new.The theory of "escaping from freedom" provides different perspectives for the study of freedom issues,broadens the horizon of criticism of the capitalist system,develops theories of social psychology,and contributes to the healthy development of personal psychology and the struggle for active freedom.However,the theory of "escaping from freedom" also has many shortcomings.On the one hand,Fromm exaggerates the influence of human psychological factors and ignores the importance of social existence such as productivity,production relations,and social relations.On the other hand,Fromm’s research on Marxism is still incomplete,resulting in a lack of thoroughness in many of his reform measures,making it difficult to fundamentally solve social problems.