Insights of Erich Fromms Escape from Freedom - Literature review Example

Freedom in Society Introduction There are many misconceptions about what freedom is, and what it is not; society today has ventured into many activities in the name of democracy and freedom. The objective of this essay is to find out whether these activities are actually liberating, or the contrary. This essay draws insights from Erich Fromm’s Escape from Freedom to portray the difference between negative freedom, which most people pursue, and positive freedom; from which democracy flourishes. The essay also highlights the behavior of the consumer in the shopping mall, and the act of viewing and making pornography as per Margaret Crawford and Gail Dines, respectively. The analysis, therefore, seeks to prove that most of the activities the modern man engages in to avoid isolation are actually other forms of bondage, and not a reflection of positive freedom. Analysis In Chapter 7 of Erich Fromm’s Escape from Freedom, Fromm discusses the relationship between Freedom and Democracy; he uses examples to show how society has become desensitized to what really matters in life. Human beings tend to doubt their own understanding in even the simplest of things. The average adult has learnt to rely on ‘specialist ‘advice to solve their problems. These specialists discourage one from being decisive and hence hampering the idea of Freedom (Fromm, 249). The critical judgment, the excitement, and the emotions are all hampered by this flattened attitude towards the world as an entirety. Society today influences how people make decisions; parents take kids to the schools that are referred to as “best” schools and encourage some to become engineers, doctors, lawyers and all manner of professions. It is not the children who decide what they want to become in life, rather, society decides for them. It is not a surprise that most children venture into family businesses such as ranching due to the misconception that “it is in their blood”. In reality, they are not exploring their own potential, rather, they are pursuing goals that have already been predetermined for them. In her article, The World in a Shopping Mall, Margaret Crawford (14), cites that the consumer’s decision to shop relies not only in his/ her own understanding, but also due to the external forces.1960, the estimated time spent in a shopping mall was 20 minutes; to date, the time has increased to 3 hours due to the advancements in architecture and interior design. Shopping mall the developers have advanced their efforts in using imagery as a way of manipulating shoppers; this means that the consumer is not exercising their free will since the shopping activity is influenced by outside forces. The consumer has become bound to these forces of imagery that confuse the shopper of the true meaning of needs (Crawford, 26). It is no surprise that fashion and designer products are one of the best examples of external forces that influence people today. Shoppers end up buying what they think they “should” need as compared to what they actually need. The media and these designer houses put it out there that to look good, you need to wear Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace or any other fashionable designer. People have become so obsessed with these products that it is hard to convince them that they are victims of external persuasion. People fail to accept themselves for who they are; they would rather result to hiding this self so as to please others. Most women put on make-up, go for plastic surgeries and other physical modifications because they do not believe in their own potential. They are victims of external pressure. Despite the fact that the authority moved from the Church to the State, and later to that of common sense, modern man has become a slave of the new form of authority; that of “free will," public opinion and common sense. The human being has, therefore, become an automaton under the illusion of being autonomous. The new authority weakens the modern man, makes him powerless, and finally drives him to think, feel, and will in a manner that he is ‘supposed’ to feel, think, and will. Pirandello and Descartes highlight that the modern man doubts his identity; according to Descartes, the modern man is as he is desired; he lacks his own identity (Fromm, 253). Man finds sanity in living according to the expectations of others; any sign of trying to be different and one is cast out by society. This negative aspect of freedom is not at all liberating as it leads man into new bondage; in this, he loses his integrity, and himself since he cannot bear to be alone. According to Gail Dines Pornland: How Porn has Hijacked Our Sexuality, Dines explains that pornography is not an act of liberation but rather, moral decadence and destruction. Chapters four, five and six of the book explain how a culture of porn affects men, women and the society in general. In the name of liberation, pornography has single handedly changed how men and women indulge sexually. The relationship is not one of expressions but one of domination and submission. The study shows that more than 90% of porn films have at least one act of violence, abuse and verbal insults (Dines 60). It is true that pornography makes the viewer an idle person; most young people and even older people are addicted to pornography. This addiction prevents them from doing tasks that would otherwise improve their lives. Porn addicts rarely perform excellently in class due to the fact that all they can think of in their personal time is porn or sex. They, therefore, become slaves of porn, unfree to explore their potentialities. Gail Dines visit to the world of porn enables her to find out why these actors engage in these activities. The question is whether these activities are any liberating; whether fear of isolation is a valid reason for indulging in such gruesome acts. To be able to answer these, it is important to look at Erich Fromm’ definition of positive freedom; Fromm believes that, despite the independence from all primary ties, modern man must not live in fear and isolation; he believes that man can gain freedom and avoid isolation, but united with the world. This, Fromm refers to as positive freedom. Positive freedom can be achieved by the understanding of oneself, by being one’s self (Fromm, 257). Margaret Crawford’s The World in a Shopping Mall is a good example of how human beings perceive spontaneity; Crawford reviews what, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the World’s largest mega mall. The West Edmonton Mall practically covers the entire world in all its architecture, design, contents and products. It is bigger than five football fields; it acts a home for wildlife, hospitality, religion, gaming, recreation, entertainment, fashion, transport, etc. It is designed in such a way that the consumer is spoilt for choice, for all he/ she could ever want from the outside world, he/ she can find at the West Edmonton Mall, Alberta, Canada. It is a whole world on its own; in fact, the only thing missing in this mega structure is the aspect of housing, which would make it a complete world in itself (Crawford, 6). Crawford identifies that there are four spending patterns that influence the design and construction of a mall: the achievers – these are hardworking, highly educated, materialistic and traditional spenders; the emulators – these are the status conscious youth, conspicuous consumers; the Sustainers – these are the poor and struggling spenders who are angry with the system. Finally, the belongers – these are conservative, middle class, and low to moderate income shoppers. The belongers tend to be value oriented (Crawford, 9). The human beings way of life has transformed such that every aspect of life has been commercialized to aid this consumption process. The consumer’s decision to buy does not depend on price alone but by status, image and class. A person’s identity, therefore, depends on the person’s ability to create a particular image for themselves through what they purchase. Most people end up buying what they want and not what they need. People buy the latest cars, television sets, seats and property due to peer pressure. The world of shopping has become competition between shoppers, friends and workmates. Advertising is the main driving force of shopping; manufacturers will always try to outdo each other; the shopper is therefore spoilt for choice, price and quality become key factors in determining what people buy so to outdo others (Crawford, 14). Crawford refers to Victor Gruen’s concept of the Gruen Transfer to express how a destination shopper turns into an impulse shopper due to the design, architecture and physical appeal of the shopping malls. Judging from Margaret Crawford’s analysis, it is possible to see how even in the modern man’s understanding of spontaneity, he is still subject to persuasion from external forces. Erich Fromm’s definition of Spontaneity is that, it neither implies the compulsive activity of the automaton, nor constitutes the activities adopted by man from the outside forces. It constitutes things that a person does out of free will. Spontaneous activity is only possible if man accepts himself for who he is, only when he accepts his character in totality. Positive freedom can only be achieved through the spontaneous understanding of oneself, and with the world- nature, and fellow men. There are various components that constitute spontaneity; love is the utmost expression of spontaneity. Love is the affirmation of others; the need to overcome separateness that constitutes oneness. With love, one can still maintain their individuality (Fromm, 259). Work is also another component of spontaneity; people use work as a way of escaping reality- this is not the work Fromm proposes. He depicts work as a method of creation; a way through which man and nature can work together towards creativity. According to Fromm (262), all men are born equal, however, they have certain different features that can only be realized by the total expression of self. He adds that positive freedom can only be felt once an individual learns to groom and express these particular features. These features are what make the person unique to himself and him alone. The uniqueness of oneself does not contradict the idea of equality. The concept of equality does not imply that human beings are alike; it implies that they all carry the same fate. It means that they all have the same fundamental human qualities; that they have equal claims on freedom and joy. The relationship between men, therefore, is one of solidarity, and not domination-submission. Another principle of positive freedom is that there cannot be a higher power than the unique individual self; the modern man, therefore, is the center of his life. The understanding and growth of one’s individuality is an achievement that cannot be subordinated to other purposes that supposedly have greater dignity (Fromm, 263). The ideals of Fascists and Masochism are mostly those of suffering and subordination to a higher power; this is the concept of Gail Dines’ book, Pornland. Dines study shows that men slowly turn to harder porn as they become bored and desensitized to mild pornography. It is not surprise that most marriages have been put to test due to porn addiction; Kirk Franklin, the renowned gospel singer is one of the best examples of porn addiction. His addiction to porn could make him wake up at night just to watch porn. He was a slave to masturbation and pornography. Dines research shows that men who watch pornographic content demand their female partners to dress, act and replicate what the women in these films perform. This leads to the replication of abusive and degrading acts that are aimed at self-gratification of the desires of porn watchers (Dines, 79). Dines goes to the extents of describing these gruesome events and acts that clearly highlight porn as a cruel business especially to a woman. Women are also orchestrators of their own destiny; most women learn to accept domination, to desire the masculine man who can do all sorts of things that they seem to lack in a relationship. They too indulge in porn due to the pleasure or due to the quick money pay outs that female actors get from these scenes (Dines, 104). The world has become so addicted to pornography that it is hard to imagine a world without pornography. It has become a basis through which sex is redefined; the true meaning is taken from us by the porn industry and sold back in a tainted form (Dines, 64). This form of bondage and outside power hijacks our sexuality and our individuality. Fromm (267), brings in the perspective of personal sacrifice, which Fascism and Masochism proclaim to be the highest virtue a person can possess. He calls this an obsession that is in no way a reflection of freedom. Masochists believe in the physical sacrifice of the self, and the submission to a higher power; this does not portray freedom for death is not desirable no matter the cause. This sacrifice constitutes a form of bondage. Since the Renaissance, the ideological aim of modern thought has been that of realizing one’s individualism; by realizing one’s individualism, democracy is achieved. Fromm (269), believes that the victory of freedom can only be achieved when democracy develops into a culture that fosters growth and happiness of the person In his counter argument, Erich Fromm defends his view of freedom; he states that the lack of submission to any higher power does not mean that he advocates for anarchy; on the other hand, it means that a person can express themselves freely, to be themselves and to grow their potentialities. When a person is isolated, powerless and out of sync with the world, the result is submission or hunger for power, which may lead to cruelty and destructiveness. The idea of negative freedom results from alienation of oneself from others and one’s individuality. This state frightens and weakens the self, making it easier for a person to submit to other forms of bondage (Fromm, 268). Conclusion Judging from the analysis, it is clear that the activities of a shopper and pornography are unfree; they do not liberate the person who engages them, instead, they drive them into a new form of bondage, a chase that is a misconception of freedom. A person should not have to derive satisfaction from any goal such as success; he/she should not be subordinated to or dominated by powers outside of him. People should strive to foster an environment whereby, the individuals live by their own ideas and conscience, not the internalization of external demands. Watching or acting pornography is an unfree activity that appears as an attractive experience, but in the long run, it is harmful to life. Impulse shopping can also lead a person into financial ruin and other obsessions that are not liberating to the mind. It is important for people to abolish negative freedom, and embrace positive freedom. Works Cited Crawford, Margaret . "The World in a Shopping Mall." http://mark.levengood.people.cpcc.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. . Dines, Gail. "How Porn Seeps into Mens Lives." Pornland: how porn has hijacked our sexuality. Boston: Beacon Press, 2010. 59-120. Print Fromm, Erich. "Freedom and Democracy." Escape from freedom, 1941. Reprint. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc., 1969. 249-271. Print Read More