Ebook: Escape from Freedom

I. Freedom, a psychological problem? -- II. The emergence of the individual and the ambiguity of freedom -- III. Freedom in the age of the Reformation -- 1. Medieval background and the Renaissance -- 2. The period of the Reformation -- IV. The two aspects of freedom for modern man -- V. Mechanisms of escape -- 1. Authoritarianism -- 2. Destructiveness -- 3. Automation conformity -- VI. Psychology of Nazism -- VII. Freedom and democracy -- 1. The illusion of individuality -- 2. Freedom and spontaneity -- Appendix. Character and the social process.;Erich Fromm's bestselling 1941 debut, about freedom and authoritarianism, is as relevant today as when it was first publishedThe pursuit of freedom has indelibly marked Western culture since Renaissance humanism and Protestantism began the fight for individualism and self-determination. This freedom, however, can make people feel unmoored, and is often accompanied by feelings of isolation, fear, and the loss of self, all leading to a desire for authoritarianism, conformity, or destructiveness. It is not only the question of freedom that makes Fromm's debut book a timeless classic. In this examination of the roots of Nazism and fascism in Europe, Fromm also explains how economic and social constraints can also lead to authoritarianism. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Erich Fromm including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's estate.