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    On Disobedience: 'Why Freedom Means Saying "No" to Power
    Unavailable
    On Disobedience: 'Why Freedom Means Saying "No" to Power
    Unavailable
    On Disobedience: 'Why Freedom Means Saying "No" to Power
    Ebook77 pages1 hour

    On Disobedience: 'Why Freedom Means Saying "No" to Power

    By Erich Fromm

    3.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    “Human history began with an act of disobedience, and it is not unlikely that it will be terminated by an act of obedience.”—from On Disobedience

    One of the great psychological and social philosophers of the twentieth century, Erich Fromm expounded on the importance of disobedience and the authentic voice of the individual in modern culture. As relevant now as when it was first published, On Disobedience is a collection of provocative essays, including the title entry, which suggests the very act of dissent—the choice to refuse to conform, to speak "no" to those in power—is essential to a humane society, both to ensure humankind's preservation and to allow for one person to reclaim a genuine sense of self.

    In times of crisis, the great works of philosophy help us make sense of the world. This book is part of the Harper Perennial Resistance Library, a special five-book series highlighting short classic works of independent thought that illuminate the nature of truth, humanity's dangerous attraction to authoritarianism, the influence of media and mass communication, and the philosophy of resistance—all critical in understanding today's politically charged world.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateAug 3, 2010
    ISBN9780062035127
    Unavailable
    On Disobedience: 'Why Freedom Means Saying "No" to Power
    Author

    Erich Fromm

    Erich Fromm (1900–1980) was a bestselling psychoanalyst and social philosopher whose views about alienation, love, and sanity in society—discussed in his books such as Escape from Freedom, The Art of Loving, The Sane Society, and To Have or To Be?—helped shape the landscape of psychology in the mid-twentieth century. Fromm was born in Frankfurt, Germany, to Jewish parents, and studied at the universities of Frankfurt, Heidelberg (where in 1922 he earned his doctorate in sociology), and Munich. In the 1930s he was one of the most influential figures at the Frankfurt Institute of Social Research. In 1934, as the Nazis rose to power, he moved to the United States. He practiced psychoanalysis in both New York and Mexico City before moving to Switzerland in 1974, where he continued his work until his death.

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    Reviews for On Disobedience

    3.5/5

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    • 5/5
      I found some excellent information in this book. Some things that resonated with me were the confrontation between General Astray and Miguel de Unamuno. Astray, incidentally, is the perfect name for this historical character, with his shouts of "Long live Death," and "Death to Intelligence" (Fromm is right about the destructive and suicidal tendencies inherent in so many humans). Instead of paying attention to life they worship death and corral as many others into their implosive paradoxical mind sets. Marinetti as well, with his manifesto of ridiculousness.He is spot on when he discusses Adolph Eichmann being a prime example of how obedient technocrats will inevitably abet the destruction of our world as they willingly divorce themselves from critical thought in the face of authority. I'm a fan of Bertrand Russell, so I was more than happy to see Fromm discussing several Russell papers.Of course if you're a believer in authoritarian measures or the corporate power structure you won't see eye to eye with Erich Fromm, and certainly not this particular book. Especially not the last chapter entitled "Human.........(wait)..........(wait for it).......(better take a seat)............Socialism"
    • 4/5
      this is the first i've read of fromm but i really enjoyed it. i especially appreciated the first section which was about the idea of obedience. he turns the adam and eve story on its head and argues for disobedience making us more human (and therefore better than we were before the choice to disobey). i also found his thoughts on socialism and what changes it should bring about to be really insightful.
    • 3/5
      A collection of four dated, idealistic and theoretical essays. Fromm makes the case for 'obedience' as the realm of the reactionary and 'disobedience' as that of the pioneer.

      From the first essay, Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem:
      "Human history began with an act of disobedience, and it is not unlikely that it will be terminated by an act of obedience."

      From the second essay, Prophets and Priests: "They are skeptical toward everything which cannot be caught in an intellectual formula, but they are naively unskeptical toward their own scientific approach."

      From the third essay, Let Man Prevail: "With the bureaucratic management of people, the democratic process becomes transformed into a ritual."

      From the fourth, and most comprehensively programmatic, essay, Humanist Socialism: "The individual must be protected from fear and the need to submit to anyone’s coercion. In order to accomplish this aim, society must provide, free to everyone, the minimum necessities of material existence in food, housing, and clothing. Anyone who has higher aspirations for material comforts will have to work for them, but the minimal necessities of life being guaranteed, no person can have power over anyone on the basis of direct or indirect material coercion."