Fromm << from >> , Erich (1900-1980), was a German-born social philosopher and psychoanalyst. He became a leading supporter of the idea that most human behavior is a learned response to social conditions. In adopting this concept, Fromm rejected much of the theory of the noted Austrian neurologist and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Freud maintained that instincts determine most human behavior.
Fromm applied the ideas of sociology to psychoanalysis. He studied the social and cultural processes by which people come to learn and act out the behavior expected of them by their society.
Fromm wrote numerous books that reflect his many fields of interest, such as philosophy, psychology, religion, and sociology. His major works include Escape from Freedom (1941), Man for Himself (1947), The Sane Society (1955), and The Art of Loving (1956).
Fromm was born on March 23, 1900, in Frankfurt (am Main). He earned his Ph.D. degree from the University of Heidelberg in 1922. In 1933, Fromm came to the United States to lecture at the Institute for Psychoanalysis in Chicago. He became a United States citizen in 1940. Fromm held various positions in psychoanalytical institutions in the United States and taught at universities in the United States and Mexico. Fromm died on March 18, 1980.
