The Relevance of Fromms Writings in Todays Age - Essay Example

Man’s freedom itself originated from an act of disobedience and the ability to be disobedient is the function of courage and true freedom of thought. Therefore, he disputes the belief that obedience is always a virtue and that disobedience is always a vice.

Obedience has been favored as a virtue in man. Erich Fromm however sets out to prove that obedience is not a virtue, rather it prevents man from being an independent, free human being. Man is obedient because he is too cowardly to go against the established order of things and the norms of society, to be disobedient. While disobedience has always been looked upon as a vice, Fromm questions whether it is so. It was only after Adam and Eve disobeyed that their eyes were opened and they were able to see the world and their role within it. Therefore, while this act of disobedience has been condemned as the original sin and vice, it was the symbol of man’s liberation. Fromm applauds the prophets and philosophers who have advocated that man should always doubt and question everything because it is only by keeping his eyes open that man can see and learn the truth. Only a strong and self-confident person can have the courage to be disobedient because to be so meant to go against the established hierarchies that exist in society and to demonstrate his power of free will thought, and action that is against the set and established rules. Through the act of disobedience, man is subservient to his conscience rather than being subservient to those who want to exploit him and those who want to muzzle the majority to enjoy the benefits and resources of the world for themselves.
However, Fromm clarifies that he does not advocate disobedience all the time, because it is a virtue. Rather, the act of obedience or disobedience will depend upon what or to who a person wishes to submit himself. Fromm states that if a man obeys all the time and never disobeys, then he is no more than a slave, while a man who disobeys all the time and never obeys is a revolutionary who is acting out of his frustrations, disappointments, and anger rather than disobeying to uphold the principle of independence and freedom. Obedience is not always a vice - when it is conditioned by reason, for example in obeying a teacher, it becomes a virtue. The goal of both the teacher and the student is to help the student to learn and evolve, therefore both benefit. But in the case of a master and slave, the obedience is irrational and is heavily weighted in the Master’s favor because he drills the obedience only so that he can gain and benefit from the exploitation of the slave at the expense of his freedom. In such an instance obedience becomes a vice. It was also a vice when leaders of the church tried to stifle the birth of rational and scientific thought in men such as Galileo and Rousseau because they were not obedient. After all, it was geared towards preventing the development of man.

Thus Fromm shows that disobedience, even rebelliousness, is in fact obedience – but to another principle. Every act of disobedience is for a purpose, to gain the right to think or speak independently or to gain the right to refuse to do something that goes against reason. The question of whether disobedience is a virtue or vice will depend upon the principle to which the person disobeying is obedient. If the principle is an “affirmation of reason and will” it is not aggression or rebelliousness, it is a virtue because its purpose is to open eyes that are blind and awaken spirits that are in slavery, so that true freedom can be attained. Read More