Escape from Freedom

By: Erich Fromm

Narrated by: Anthony Haden Salerno

Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

lf a man cannot stand freedom, he will probably turn fascist. This, in the fewest possible words, is the essential argument in this modem classic, Escape from Freedom. The author, Erich Fromm, is a distinguished psychologist, late of Berlin and Heidelberg, now of New York City.

He applies the psychoanalytical method to the illness of our civilization which expresses itself in an abject submission to dictatorship. It is true that the rise of democracy set men free and brought to an end the authority of the medieval state and the medieval church. But it brought into existence a society where a man feels isolated from his fellows, where relationships in an industrial age are impersonal, where insecurity replaces a sense of belonging.

This sense of isolation may drive an individual to one of various forms of escape. lt may drive a people to seek escape in blind devotion to a leader, in utter submission to an all-powerful state, into a barbarous and sadistic program of aggression against minority groups or neighbor nations.

Few books since the rise of the dictators have thrown such light upon our times. Few books have penetrated so clearly into the causes of fascism and Nazism - and into the inherent qualities of a democracy. In his psychoanalysis of the social scene, the author makes a new contribution to psychology by modifying the basic concepts of Freud in placing a purely biological orientation by a cultural one.

To all who see that democracy today faces its gravest hour, Dr. Fromm illustrates the essential character of the danger and the nature of democracy's responsibility. By its brilliant exposition of the modern social scene Escape from Freedom will help clarify many of today's most perplexing problems.

©1941 Erich Fromm (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Why is this not required reading in high school?

What made the experience of listening to Escape from Freedom the most enjoyable?

Listening to this book was enjoyable yet frustrating. It is 2016, and the world has spent the better part of a year listening to a disaster of a US presidential election. Many of the topics and points touched on here resonate with the state of politics today, and I could help but see parallels between the current state of affairs and those of pre-WWII Germany.

What did you like best about this story?

I am not a psychologist, yet Fromm spent the time to clearly explain concepts regarding consciousness and psychology. Once the foundation was laid, he then applied it to both thought experiments and real world examples, making it very easy to understand his conjectures.

Which scene was your favorite?

I hate to admit it, but he leans on Freud a lot to explain neurosis and psychosis. This made me smile a bit since most of that theory has been disproved over the years. However, the conclusions which are reached are still viable if you were to go back and update those sections of the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The section regarding self-doubt moved me very much. Some points almost felt as if he had read my mind.

Any additional comments?

This book should be required reading at some point in school. It would help people to understand themselves better and in turn those around them. And... it might just help people treat each other with a bit more dignity and respect!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Still relevant in 2016!

I loved this book even though it's diffucult to absorb and digest in few sessions. I needed a month to finish but it was worth it!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Needs different narrator

Would you listen to another book narrated by Anthony Haden Salerno?

As long as they are not books by a German author.

Any additional comments?

The narrator has a pleasant voice and is easy to understand. Unfortunately he mispronounced many German words. This is particularly a problem when narrating a book by a German author writing partly about Germany and the rise of Hitler. The great German sociologist Max Weber's name should be pronounced as if spelled Veber, not like the name of a popular charcoal grill.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Few great passages

However other parts of the book could be considered boring. All in all I'd recommend.

Interesante pero pudo haber sido más consciso

Me pareció una muy buena manera de abordar la falta de libertad del hombre moderno sin embargo considero que fue un poco largo y repetitivo. Sí este libro hubiera dado el mismo mensaje en la mitad de tiempo le daba las 5 estrellas

facts vs. opinion

In a way that only an academic could do, he pushes a few of his opinions as facts. I love the part where he says, "for whatever reason socialism did not work".

Indispensable concepts, Complicated writing, boring performance.

The narration is very boring and because the writing is complicated and has a lot of redundancies, it is easy to drift off, even though the basic themes and implications are one of the most profound books, conceptually, I’ve ever read.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful