Escape from Freedom
Also known as The Fear of Freedom
Erich Fromm's 1941 study of why people flee freedom into authoritarianism.
At a glance
Key ideas
Freedom from and freedom to, Luther and Calvin, Authoritarianism …
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- Fromm explores how freedom from old social ties can bring fear, anxiety and isolation.
- Many people seek relief by giving their freedom up.
- He distinguishes "freedom from" restrictions from "freedom to" act as a whole, creative person.
- He traces the problem through the Reformation to the psychological conditions that made Nazism attractive.
Why it matters
- It is regarded as one of the founding works of political psychology, and its account of authoritarian, destructive and conformist escapes is still cited.
Key facts
- Author
- Erich Fromm1
- Published
- 1941, Farrar & Rinehart (United States)1
- UK edition
- 1942, as The Fear of Freedom, Routledge & Kegan Paul1
- German edition
- 1952, Die Angst vor der Freiheit1
Key ideas
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Freedom from and freedom to1
Emancipation from restrictions is destructive unless joined to freedom to act creatively and connect with others.
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Luther and Calvin1
The collapse of the old order and the rise of capital brought new freedom, and new theologies to answer it.
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Authoritarianism1
Both sadistic and masochistic: wanting to control others and to submit to a higher power.
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Destructiveness1
Destroying what one cannot control.
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Conformity1
Taking on society's beliefs as one's own to avoid the anxiety of free thought.
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Nazism1
Germany's insecure middle class found pride and certainty in an authoritarian order.
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Inner freedom1
Democracy gives external freedom, but experts and advertising still dominate; freedom needs spontaneity.
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