The Sane Society
by Erich Fromm
List Price:
Our Price: $6.98
You Save: $10.02 (59%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.66 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Erich FrommEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1990-10-15
ISBN: 0805014020
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Owl Books
Book Reviews of The Sane Society
Book Review: A brillian and creative analysis with possible solutions
Summary: 5 Stars
I had heard of Erich Fromm for some time but had not read any of his work and then decided I should have a look and see what all the fuss was about. To say the least Fromm does an excellent job of attempting a critique of modern society whether it be western capitalism or eastern communism. He considers the question: is current society sane ? He concludes no and pushes aside the claims of most psychologists that a sane member of society is one who can adjust himself/herself to it. Naturally such a claim means that society itself must be sane. Fromm instead supposes that there are other more objective measures of sanity than the society one is a part of. Such measures were considered by Freud early in the 20th century and led to his idea of the libido which unless satisfied produces insanity and neuroses. Fromm himself studied under Freud in psychoanalysis but came to the conclusion that Freud's ideas, although basically correct in their aims, incorrectly based all of man's behaviour on the libido.
Instead Fromm analyses current society, circa 1950's, on the basis of human nature which arises from the human condition, his whole existence. Fromm finds that man has, over the centuries, removed himself from nature (the metaphor of the expulsion from the Garden of Eden) which formed for him the womb and the spiritual connection needed by him. Instead man developed his own world which was formed through the creation of villages and towns and agriculture and some independence from nature as the provider and sustainer. The eventual extreme aspects of this alienation are found in both communism and capitalism as seen today where the individual no longer feels a relatedness to others in the society, an alienation which itself can lead to insanity. The fact that people are capital and not "people" anymore and that their work becomes capital as well which can be interchanged with other forms of capital which have no human base produces ill health and a mentally ill society. This also applies to communism except with the addition of enforced governmental structures. Fromm notes how sanity can only be achieved through changes in all aspects of the human condition at once rather than piecemeal attempts. That is his economical, political, spiritual and social needs must be satisfied at the same time. He contrasts earlier centuries to the modern one and how a capitalistic view imposes uniformity even under the illusion of individuality.
From attempts some way out of this crisis through what he calls "communitarian socialism" which applies directly and concretely to an individual's present circumstances. Fromm is widely read and never forgets to note the important authors who led the way before him. Similarly he is knowledgable in surveys and studies over the years concerning attempts at an improvement of the human condition applied in industry by others. It is the satisfaction of human needs in the present circumstances which lie on the road to a better society not who controls the means of production.
Unfortunately after a detailed and brilliant analysis of society Fromm does not spend anywhere near the same amount of time in the resolution of its problems. In the second last chapter, about 70 pages of a total of 360, he attempts it. One feels that he never quite finished this chapter and that he had much more to say, or rather there was much he mentioned briefly but did not analyse deeply enough. He did not discuss the problems which could arise in these solutions as they are implemented. This is disappointing.
Nonetheless, simply for a deep and insightful analysis of society and human nature Fromm cannot be faulted. The book is a must read for these reasons alone. It is unfortunate his ideas were never put into practice. Society continues in its march towards insanity as the capitalist ideal is approached and people are more and more dehumanised. No wonder such massive problems exist.
Nonfiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Existential Theory
The Integrity Model of Existential Psychotherapy with the 'Difficult Patient'by Danielle Nahon, Nedra Lander
Routledge; Published: 2005-08-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $27.66
Price in other shops:
Existential Perspectives on Human Issues: A Handbook for Therapeutic PracticePalgrave Macmillan; Published: 2005-07-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $35.63
Price in other shops:
Handbook of Experimental Existential PsychologyThe Guilford Press; Published: 2004-05-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $60.00
Price in other shops:
The Existential Approach to Psychotherapy: Death and Dyingby Brenda Slaughter-Price
PublishAmerica; Published: 2006-06-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.94
Price in other shops:
Existential Thought and Therapeutic Practice: An Introduction to Existential Psychotherapyby Hans W Cohn
Sage Publications Ltd; Published: 1997-08-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $35.33
Price in other shops:
Existential Counselling & Psychotherapy in Practiceby Emmy van Deurzen
Sage Publications Ltd; Published: 2002-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $36.93
Price in other shops:
Existential-Phenomenological Perspectives in Psychology: Exploring the Breadth of Human ExperienceSpringer; Published: 1989-02-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $49.05
Price in other shops:
The Art of the Psychotherapistby James F. T. Bugental
W. W. Norton & Company; Published: 1992-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.85
Price in other shops:
The Meaning of Anxietyby Rollo May
W. W. Norton & Company; Published: 1996-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.72
Price in other shops:
The Anatomy of Human Destructivenessby Erich Fromm
Holt Paperbacks; Published: 1992-02-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.99
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Essential Fromm, Theby Erich Fromm
Continuum International Publishing Group; Published: 1998-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.25
Price in other shops:
Beyond the Chains of Illusion: My Encounter With Marx And Freud (Continuum Impacts)by Erich Fromm
Continuum International Publishing Group; Published: 2006-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.96
Price in other shops:
On Being Humanby Erich Fromm
Continuum International Publishing Group; Published: 1997-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $26.95
Price in other shops:
The Art of Listeningby Erich Fromm
Continuum International Publishing Group; Published: 1998-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.49
Price in other shops:
The Art of Beingby Erich Fromm
Continuum International Publishing Group; Published: 1994-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.00
Price in other shops:
To Have or to Be?by Erich Fromm
Continuum International Publishing Group; Published: 2005-09-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Man for Himself: An Inquiry Into the Psychology of Ethicsby Erich Fromm
Holt Paperbacks; Published: 1990-11-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.86
Price in other shops:
Escape from Freedomby Erich Fromm
Published: 1994-09-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.66
Price in other shops:
The Art of Lovingby Erich Fromm
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 2006-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.25
Price in other shops:
The Anatomy of Human Destructivenessby Erich Fromm
Holt Paperbacks; Published: 1992-02-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.99
Price in other shops: