The world we are part of is in complete contrast with human living conditions and the needs of existence. There are two forces which are affecting human present condition: conformity and economic forces. According to Erich Fromm: 'man has transformed himself into a commodity, and experiences his life as a capital to be invested profitably; if he succeeds in this he is 'successful' and his life has meaning; if not, 'he is a failure'. His 'Value' lies in his saleability, not in his human qualities of love and reason, nor in his artistic capacities. Hence his success depends on extraneous factors - his success, the judgment of others.
Erich Fromm criticizes such economically oriented attitudes towards life where life does not get the basic attention of fulfilling the needs of existence - love, care, respect. He thinks that love of man is a rare phenomenon in modern civilization where people think more of 'conformity' - conformity to the existing norms and social structure shaped by economic and cultural forces. The modern man has become an alienated man. Automaton does not love; automatons do not care. Automatons do care for the cultural conformity - their own existence does not matter much. They do not listen to their existential needs. An automaton does not feel depressed. He is so happy in this world that he hardly feels the voices suppressed inside.
Man has created a culture which is so threatening to his existence. It has affected his peace and the very existence that he was born for. He is so good at pretensions that he hardly lets others feel his 'dissatisfied being'. Fromm notes that man can protect the consequences of his madness only by creating a sane society which conforms to the needs of man, needs which are rooted in the very conditions of his existence. Building up such a society means taking the next step; it means the end of 'humanoid' - the phase in which man has not yet become fully human. Man needs to come out of cultural conformity and imposed choices of others and respond to the needs of conditions of existence. Happiness lies in response to the one's existence not in fulfilling what others want, for their wants are culturally determined and shaped. Their imposed choices are harmful for one's existence.
While overcoming cultural forces, a man will certainly face human conflicts and problems, he will have to be adventuresome, courageous, imaginative. His powers should be in service of life, not in the service of death.
Erich Fromm criticizes such economically oriented attitudes towards life where life does not get the basic attention of fulfilling the needs of existence - love, care, respect. He thinks that love of man is a rare phenomenon in modern civilization where people think more of 'conformity' - conformity to the existing norms and social structure shaped by economic and cultural forces. The modern man has become an alienated man. Automaton does not love; automatons do not care. Automatons do care for the cultural conformity - their own existence does not matter much. They do not listen to their existential needs. An automaton does not feel depressed. He is so happy in this world that he hardly feels the voices suppressed inside.
Man has created a culture which is so threatening to his existence. It has affected his peace and the very existence that he was born for. He is so good at pretensions that he hardly lets others feel his 'dissatisfied being'. Fromm notes that man can protect the consequences of his madness only by creating a sane society which conforms to the needs of man, needs which are rooted in the very conditions of his existence. Building up such a society means taking the next step; it means the end of 'humanoid' - the phase in which man has not yet become fully human. Man needs to come out of cultural conformity and imposed choices of others and respond to the needs of conditions of existence. Happiness lies in response to the one's existence not in fulfilling what others want, for their wants are culturally determined and shaped. Their imposed choices are harmful for one's existence.
While overcoming cultural forces, a man will certainly face human conflicts and problems, he will have to be adventuresome, courageous, imaginative. His powers should be in service of life, not in the service of death.
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