Philosophical currents of the XX century

fromm1Psychoanalysis is one of the most influential concentrated on the study of unconscious mental.
The theory was founded by S. Freud. He had a significant influence of the development of ethics, too. Neo-Freudianism, which having saved inherent to psychoanalysis logic of thoughts, refused to see sexual motives in the behavior of the individual(person).

One of the outstanding representatives of Neo Freudianism is German-American philosopher Erik Fromm (1900-1980 ).He studied at the University of Frankfurt, then at the Heidelberg University. He got the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)in his 22. Fromm wrote the book ”The Art of Loving”, where he reviewed the phenomenon and the art, the theory of love(he wrote that love must be learned love must be on the first place, above all material values);his first big work “Escape from Freedom”(1941)(he distinguishes “freedom from”(negative)and “freedom to”(positive));then there was his book “Man for Himself”(he distinguishes two types of productive character-unproductivity and productivity)etc.

He investigated intercommunication of psyche, behavior of the individual with the social structure of the society, he is the author of the conception of “humanistic psychoanalysis”, whis is the base of “humanistic ethics”(he criticized classical psychoanalysis for dissociating psychology and ethics, ignored moral norms organizing beginning of vital functions of a person).

Humanistic ethics for Fromm is the applied science of art to live(life is an art, where a human is everything: both a teacher and a student).All living creatures are characterized with their thirst for life and to be themselves.
And here a human must set laws and codes for the behaving. That’s why in humanistic ethics: virtue-is the responsibility concerning to the human forces; evil-is the obstacle in developing of the human abilities; vice-is the irresponsibility to yourself.

In his ethics Fromm presented the phenomenon of conscience:

1.Authoritarian conscience-external authority which is deeply learned by personality. Authoritarian conscience is differed from humanistic on two criteria;

-formally authoritarian ethics denies man’s ability to know what is good, what is bad; the norm is set by the authority, that stands not on the knowledge and understanding but on the fear of the authority(and his decisions can not and should not be doubt);

-materially authoritarian ethics answers the question what is good, what is bad according to the interests of the authority, but not the interests of the subject. This is the exploitative system (but subject can get considerable psychical or material benefits). These two aspects of authoritarian ethics are shown in the development of the child’s ethical valuation and the adult’s unreflective value judgment . Fromm characterizes it as cruel and destructive, humiliating.

2.Humanistic conscience-is an own voice, oriented on values produced by mankind/ Our voice dictates us care of ourselves and provides care for others, human communication. It can de divided into two criteria (although it is opposite to authoritarian conscience);

-Formally humanistic conscience-is based on the principle that only the person can identify the criteria of virtue and sin, but not transcendent authority;

-Materially humanistic conscience-is based on the principle that “good” is the thing which good for a person, welfare, and ‘’evil’’ is the thing which makes hart for a person;

The difference between authoritarian and humanistic ethics is seen in the word-example ‘’virtue’’. A person is “virtuous” when she shows her “virtue”. In authoritarian ethics “virtue” has the opposite meaning. To be virtuous means to be selfless, obedient, to strangle the individuality and not open it completely.

Humanistic ethics is anthropocentric, there is nobody and nothing greater and worthy than human being. This ethic, as the science of the art to live, according to Fromm must rely on the fundamental theory of the human nature, on the typology of social characters (according to Fromm-social types of characters are: Mazochist-sadist, Destroyer, Confomist-automat).

In the book “Man for Himself” he identifies the types of characters after the type of orientation:

— Unproductive orientation- is not approver morally by Fromm, according to has point of view it is objectively evil for a human. Within it he speaks about characters;

1. Receptive character- for people who are focused on getting all goods (love, know ledges, pleasure) from outside. Such people are soft and dependent on others.
2. Exploitative character-for people who seek to take everything with forse and deception. Such people are aggressive, synical, they ”love” those who can be an objeet of the exploitation.
3. Accumulative character-for people who accumulate things, money, feelings, thoughts, they are afraid of spending them, it seems to them that it is safer. Such people are anxiolls, scrupulous, punctual, obsessively.
4. Tradable character-for people who want to “have demand”, to sell profitably those qualities which are currently valued. Such people don’t have their “I”, becausc they seek not to be themselves, but to appear being needed for selfselling.

Productive orientation— is approved ethically by Fromm, is not connected neither with art nor with external activity. Productivity- is the realization of human abilities, of human forses, with the forse of brain human penetrates to the bottom of the things, with the fierse of love human overcomes gination human cam make plans.

Positive type of personality is characterized with productive orientation and creative activity.

In the book “Escape from Freedom” he reviewed the phenomenon of totalitarianism within the problem of the will. From distinguishes the “freedom from”, negative and “freedom to”, positive, where the opposite to “freedom from” is exclusion and it is a burden for a person.

He described tree typical neurotical mechanisms of escape (psychological defence) from negative will:

1. Authoritarian (is expressed in mazochistic passion to subordinate yourself to others or in sadistic passion to subordinate someone to you).
2. Conformistic (is expressed in rejection from human’s personality and desire to be like everyone else.
3. Destructive (is expressed in uncontrollable I raving for violence, hardness, destroying).

But the way out for Fromm is in the reforming of the society, that would open the space for “freedom to”.

E. Fromm fried to connect the ideals of psychoanalysis, Marxism, existentialism (he thought that personality has nothing innate).Its psychical manifestations are the consequence of the absorption of the individual in different social environments. But unlike Marxism, Fromm displays the character of the forming of the personality type not from the direct impact of the social environment, but from the duality, of the human existence (existential and historical). Erich Fromm fried to solving of these problems overcoming of which will help modern person to develop his individuality, to realize his inner potential and to find his lost harmony with nature and other people.

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