Escape From Freedom

Escape From Freedom is a book of social psychology written by Erich Fromm in 1941. A German-Jewish psychoanalyst, Fromm had been a member of Frankfurt’s influential Institute for Social Research before fleeing the Nazis and relocating to the United States. In Escape From Freedom, Fromm uses ideas from both psychology and sociology to explain humanity’s ambivalent relation to freedom, with a particular attention paid to the rise of Nazism in Germany. 

The first two chapters of Escape from Freedom outline some of the core concepts and questions Fromm will explore throughout his book. Fromm notes that while modern society is defined by freedom from external authorities, individuals seem increasingly willing to relinquish their freedoms and submit to authoritarian rule, as evinced by the growth of Fascist movements throughout Europe. According to Fromm, such a response to freedom can be explained by the psychological concept of individuation. Individuation describes the process by which a child develops into an adult, during which they throw off their “primary ties” to their parents and become independent individuals. While independence leads to a strengthening of the individual’s personality, it can also leave the child feeling deeply isolated and alone. Fromm argues that a similar process of individuation has occurred in human societies.