Summary and Critique of “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem” by Erich Fromm In “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem” by Erich Fromm‚ Fromm states that human history was started by an act of disobedience‚ and that it will be ended by an act of obedience. He then says that the majority of human authorities and governments throughout history have demonized disobedience while sanctifying obedience‚ as their power comes from the obedience of the masses and that only obedience
Premium Federal government of the United States United States Congress
the German Army (Galante 227). General Fromm and his men took control of the building‚ most likely so that it would appear that Fromm was a hostage and not in any way involved with the coup (Duke 38). General Fromm informed Claus von Stauffenberg‚ General Olbricht‚ and two other key conspirators that he had ordered them all to be court-martialed in the name of the Fuhrer (Galante 228). Knowing they were all loose ends that could testify to his involvement‚ Fromm immediately ordered all four to be executed
Premium Adolf Hitler Nazi Germany
be called disobedience by the authorities‚ but as Erich Fromm states in his essay "Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem" -- any act of disobedience against any inhuman law of the state is morally correct and is for the betterment of the human kind. King advocates nonviolence as the only moral way of protest‚ even though authorities may term it as disobedience‚ it is an act of obedience according to the human law as stated by Erich Fromm in his essay. Martin Luther King’s letter which was
Premium Civil disobedience Nonviolence Nonviolent resistance
history began with an act of disobedience‚ and it is not unlikely that it will be terminated by an act of obedience” (Fromm‚ 1981‚ ¶1). Comparing this statement to the historical idea that obedience is a virtue and disobedience is a vice is the basis of Erich Fromm’s essay entitled “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem” (1981). Referencing historical and biblical accounts‚ Fromm claims that mankind was not human until the point of the first disobedient act‚ at which point the transformation
Premium Religion Human Morality
people in society. However‚ Erich Fromm‚ a prominent writer about the moral consequences of obedience thought otherwise. Fromm indicated in his article that disobedience is not necessarily bad. Although it might have its own consequences‚ there are a few good ideas that came out of the avoidance of conformity. A great example would be the Hebrew’s belief about the evolution of humanity‚ Adam and Eve‚ who freed themselves from the Garden of Eden and became human. Fromm implied that disobedience is
Premium Religion Sociology Morality
that is the question? A summary of a piece written by Erich Fromm Erich Fromm (1900-1980) was a noted psychoanalyst‚ philosopher‚ historian‚ and sociologist that lived a long life over some very troubled times in the history of the world. He authored more than 30 books and was a studier of Freud and Marx‚ both offering different insights on the subject matter of Fromm’s piece “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem.” Mr. Fromm wrote this piece during the height of the Cuban Missile
Premium Virtue Good and evil
The Nature of Symbolic Language In his essay Erich Fromm explores the very way in which we share personal experiences with each other through language. He makes clear distinctions between the three types of symbolic language‚ conventional‚ accidental‚ and universal‚ and he uses these distinctions to explain the reality behind an important part of our lives we don’t even think about. Fromm purposely uses language that makes his thoughts easier to understand which adds depth to his writing and
Free Idea Mind Symbolism
In “Opinions and Social Pressure” by Solomon E. Asch‚ he claims that under group pressure‚ a subject 75% out of 123 participants agreed with the majority of the group. Asch demonstrated an experiment of 8 college student males for a psychological experiment on comparing the length of lines. He orchestrated everyone except 1 person to purposely answer the questions incorrectly‚ to see if that 1 person would continue independently with the correct answer or agree with the majority of the group. At
Premium Psychology Social psychology Milgram experiment
authority corresponds to the common belief that respecting authority and obeying them will lead you to success in all aspects of life. Obedience is not defined to specific situations and its context can be portrayed in various ways. For example‚ Erich Fromm writes in his 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 disobedience.” This statement suggests that everything which
Premium
“Ashputtle”‚ a cousin story to the famous Cinderella written by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm‚ is a fairytale about a young woman whose mother dies and whose father remarries an oppressive woman dubbed “stepmother” whom Fromm would characterise as an irrational authoritaty figure. Ashputtle‚ following her humanistic conscience‚ after a series of events finds herself in a position to start her life anew with the handsome prince of the land. There are several key relationships in “Ashputtle” that play different
Premium Authority Political philosophy Family