Erich Fromm's Humanistic Psychoanalysis

Vocabulary flashcards based on Erich Fromm's Humanistic Psychoanalysis lecture notes.

Humanistic Psychoanalysis

Erich Fromm's theory emphasizing humanity's separation from nature leading to loneliness and isolation (basic anxiety).

Basic Anxiety

The feeling of loneliness and isolation resulting from humanity's separation from the natural world.

Human Dilemma

The concept that humans, unlike other animals, have been "torn away" from their prehistoric union with nature.

Existential Dichotomies

The unsolvable contradictions of life (e.g., life and death, complete self-realization, ultimate aloneness).

Existential Needs

Needs that emerge during the evolution of human culture in response to their existence, including relatedness, transcendence, rootedness, a sense of identity, and a frame of orientation.

Relatedness

The drive for union with another person, achieved through submission, domination, or love.

Symbiotic Relationship

A relationship between a submissive and a domineering person that blocks growth toward integrity and psychological health, similar to codependence.

Love (Fromm's definition)

Union with somebody or something outside oneself under the condition of retaining separateness and integrity.

Transcendence

The urge to rise above a passive and accidental existence into purposefulness and freedom, achieved through destruction or creation.

Malignant Aggression

The act of humans killing others for reasons other than survival.

Rootedness

The need to establish roots or feel at home in the world, achieved through independence from one's mother or fixation.

Sense of Identity

The capacity to be aware of oneself as a separate entity, achieved through individuality rather than adjustment to a group.

Frame of Orientation

A road map or philosophy of life needed to make one's way through the world, achieved through rational goals rather than irrational ones.

Basic Anxiety (Burden of Freedom)

The feeling of being alone in the world, resulting from the burden of freedom and leading to mechanisms of escape.

Mechanisms of Escape

Ways people attempt to flee from freedom, including authoritarianism, destructiveness, and conformity.

Authoritarianism

The tendency to give up independence and fuse oneself with someone or something outside oneself, manifesting as masochism or sadism.

Masochism

Results from feelings of powerlessness and is aimed at joining oneself to a more powerful person or institution.

Sadism

Aimed at reducing basic anxiety through achieving unity with another person, including the need to make others dependent, exploit others, and see others suffer.

Conformity

Escaping aloneness and isolation by giving up individuality and becoming whatever others desire them to be.

Positive Freedom

Being free and not alone, independent and yet an integral part of mankind, through spontaneous and full expression.

Character Orientations

Ways a person relates to the world based on how they solve existential dilemmas and needs, categorized as nonproductive and productive.

Nonproductive Orientations

Strategies that fail to move people closer to positive freedom and self-realization (receptive, exploitative, hoarding, marketing).

Receptive Character

Believes the source of good lies outside themselves and can only relate to the world to receive things.

Exploitative Character

Believes the world lies outside themselves and aggressively takes what they desire.

Hoarding Character

Seeks to save what they have already obtained and do not let go of anything.

Marketing Character

Sees themselves as commodities and adjusts their personality to what is currently in fashion.

Productive Orientation

Solving the human dilemma by uniting with the world while retaining uniqueness through working, loving, and reasoning productively.

Biophilia

A passionate love of life and all that is alive.

Syndrome of Growth

Characterized by biophilia, love, and positive freedom.

Necrophilia

An attraction to death. Personalities hate humanity

Malignant Narcissism

Narcissism impedes the perception of reality

Incestuous Symbiosis

An extreme dependence on the mother or mother surrogate.

Syndrome of Decay

Individuals possess necrophilia, malignant narcissism, and incestuous symbiosis.