The Fear of Freedom

Erich Fromm sees right to the heart of our contradictory needs for community and for freedom like no other writer before or since. In Fear of Freedom, Fromm warns that the price of community is indeed high, and it is the individual who pays. Fascism and authoritarianism may seem like receding shadows for some, but are cruel realities for many. Erich Fromm leaves a valuable and original legacy to his readers - a vastly increased understanding of the human character in relation to society. At the beginning of the 21st century, it is more important than ever to be aware of his powerful message. Listen, and take heed.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Freedom--A Psychological Problem?

The Emergence of the Individual and the Ambiguity of Freedom

Freedom in the Age of the Reformation

Medieval Background and the Renaissance

The Period of the Reformation

The Two Aspects of Freedom for Modern Man

Mechanisms of Escape

Authoritarianism

Destructiveness

Automaton Conformity

Psychology of Nazism

Freedom and Democracy

The Illusion of Individuality

Freedom and Spontaneity

Appendix: Character and the Social Process

Index