Erich Fromms Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral...

Erich Fromms Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem In Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem, Erich Fromm (1963) argues that society will self-destruct without achieving freedom through disobedience. Fromm begins with analogies of Hebrew and Greek mythology showing how disobedience to a god freed humans. Using this correlation, Fromm shows freedom as a condition for disobedience, and vice- versa. Therefore, Fromm proclaims that without disobedience the human race could destroy itself within a generation. Fromm’s article, first published in 1963, stems from fear of a third world war. Despite the â€Å"outdated† comment by Behrens and Rosen in the introduction, the article still applies to suggestion human†¦show more content†¦Fromm relates this to the fetus in the womb and to cutting the umbilical cord to become fully human. In both situations, Fromm believes the disobedience in both situation results in freedom. The Adam and Eve analogy holds true only to creationists, not to evolutionists. Atheists, agnostics, and other religions simply reject the Garden of Eden story. For these people, the process of becoming â€Å"fully human† resulted in evolution over thousands of years. However, if the analogy is true for the fetus, one must assume the mother demands the baby to stay in the womb, not to enter the new world. Yet the purpose of procreation is to bring a new child into this world. Birth is a natural process, not a medical procedure, thus cannot be forever prolonged (Childbirth.org). How often is it mothers are disappointed pregnancy did not last longer? Most mothers become ecstatic when pregnancy is over and she can enjoy God’s creation. Fromm (1963) uses the analogy in his essay to suggest the baby disobeys God. However, once conception occurs, the mother has only one choice under God’s law- giving birth. A few examples of God’s will are in 1 Timothy 2:15, â€Å"women will be saved through childbearing,† and how Exodus 21:22-23 mentions morally wrong abortion. With thousands of biblical examples, it should be hard for a religious scholar to suggest a baby disobeys God’s will by leaving its mothers womb. Disobeying God canShow MoreRelatedThe Genocidal Killer in the Mirror† by Crispin Sartwell and Erich Fromm’s Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem1286 Words   |  6 Pagesthe mass-killings of the Tutsis for the â€Å"greater good† of it’s people, forcing the people to see the Tutsis as schemers and assassins to prevent personal injury to themselves and their loved ones. The other article, was Erich Fromm’s â€Å"Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem†, in which Fromm illustrates how many can be forced into becoming an automatized man, who simply does as he is told by his superiors, allowing him to become a killer without conscience. Fromm also discusses the importanceRead Moreâ€Å"Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem† Disobedience as a Phycological Moral Problem by Erich Fromm796 Words   |  4 PagesDISOBEDIENCE AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND MORAL PROBLEM 1 â€Å"Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem† Erich Fromm Summaries Name Class Professor Date DISOBEDIENCE AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND MORAL PROBLEM 2 â€Å"Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem† Erich Fromm Erich Fromm’s essay â€Å"Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem† suggests that humankind’sRead MoreDisobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem780 Words   |  4 PagesDISOBEDIENCE AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND MORAL PROBLEM 2 â€Å"Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem† Erich Fromm Erich Fromm’s essay â€Å"Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem† suggests that humankind’s evolution has, and continues to rely on man’s capability to exercise disobedience. While discussing the positions of disobedience being considered a vice, and obedience being a virtue, Fromm reflects upon the history of Adam and Eve believingRead MoreErich Fromm s Disobedience As A Psychological And Moral Problem891 Words   |  4 PagesErich Fromm wrote Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem, in 1963, an essay detailing balance between obedience and disobedience. Fromm cited that authority figures insisted obedience as a virtue and disobedience as a vice. He argued that disobedience began human history itself and necessary to continue it. Fromm first discussed a Biblical example: the story of Adam and Eve. Humans were in harmony with nature, yet still in their infancy. Prophets argued it is through man’s â€Å"sin† canRead MoreEssay on Obedience1004 Words   |  5 PagesErin Poulsen ACP W131 Mr. Scanlan 19 October, 2015 Comparative Critique Obedience and Disobedience has been a part of key moments in history. Many have studied forms of obedience to learn how it affects people and situations. For example, Stanley Milgram conducted a well-known experiment in which the subject, named the â€Å"teacher† must shock the â€Å"learner† every time he doesn’t remember a word pair from a memory test. The focus of this study is on the teacher, and whether they will administerRead MoreGender Discrimination in Boys and Girls by Alice Munro932 Words   |  4 PagesGirls† by Alice Munro, life during the twentieth century is portrayed. The narrator, who has portrayed herself as a nameless young girl, struggles for freedom from inequality in her society. The disobedience in â€Å"Boys and Girls† is clarified in Erich Fromm’s essay, â€Å"Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem (DPMP).† The narrator of â€Å"Boys and Girls† goes through different phases of obedience due t o her â€Å"authoritarian and humanistic conscience† (Fromm 10). Also, by being disobedient she has controlRead MoreA Few Good Men By Erich Fromm1546 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the motion picture â€Å"A Few Good Men† it obscures the inquiry whether disobedience or obedience is the rational distinction and at what instant does following the orders turn into blind obedience and submission? Furthermore, the movie complicates this theme by establishing military culture where disobedience to a higher power invokes dire repercussions. One example in the motion picture is when United States Marines Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private Louden Downey where instructed by theirRead MoreNon Violent Protest Ââ€" Dr. Martin Luther Kings Moral Disobedience!1563 Words   |  7 PagesMartin Luther Kings moral disobedience! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the issue of non-violence in his letter from Birmingham Jail. He states that any law, which is unjust and inhuman, is not a moral law. Dr. Kings argument for non-violent protest against the authorities is just and moral; because any action taken for the greater good of human beings may be called disobedience by the authorities, but as Erich Fromm states in his essay Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem -- any act of disobedienceRead MoreObedience and Disobedience in A Few Good Man1594 Words   |  7 Pagespeople obeyed the experimenter rather than following the instinct to help the learner. Likewise, Erich Fromm, a psychoanalyst and philosopher, claims that obedience and disobedience both can have good and bad consequences. Fromm uses religious figures to emphasize the differences on how obedience and disobedience either contribute to or harm humanity. The author exemplifies the ways that disobedience helps the society and its contribution to furthering the human race but notes on the fact that blindRead MorePsychological Analysis On Obedience And The Stanford Prison Experiment1258 Words   |  6 Pages Psychological Analysis on Obedience What forms a person’s predisposition to act in a certain way in any given situation? Is our personality something that we are born with or does it develop over time, and furthermore once it is ‘developed’ can it be significantly influenced by our surroundings? It is something that each of us wonders as we go about our daily lives. We wish that our circumstances were different so that we could be different people. Most of the time this type of thinking, if verbalized