Beyond the Chains of Illusion: My Encounter with Marx and Freud

by Erich Fromm

Book Overview

First published in 1962, this is a book about Marx and Freud - the two intellectual giants of the 20th century. It introduces many of readers to unknown aspects of Marx and Freud, as it also serves as an introduction to the life and mind of Erich Fromm as well.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671208624
• ISBN13: 9780671208622
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 182 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

inspiring, but ultimately contradictory

Okay, I have to admit I think Fromm is very inspiring. He does do a great job of critically analyzing Freud, and shows how Marx's social analysis is vastly superior to Freud's(something which I definitely agree with). He goes to great lengths to show how we are chained to our illusions (be they religions or non-theistic ideologies or in the innumerable other ways so that we feel secure), and shows how we create ideologies out of the great ideas. HOWEVER, it seems to me that he ideologizes towards the end of the book when he uncritically raves about Buddha, Jesus, the Old Testament (and of course Marx throught the entire book). This final contradiction which I found to be so obvious blew me away...how can someone come so far but then so blatantly and uncritically glorify (ideologize?) the 'Masters' and 'Masterworks', shouldn't he try to bring those down to earth by analyzing them and risk trying to break what may be our grandest illusions?: 1. the reincarnation theory of Buddha, 2. the denial we have of the incredible violence of the Old Testament, 3. or even more bravely possibly criticizing, or at least analyzing Jesus' life and ideas, 4. he could even try to take on Marx, by perhaps at least raising the great debate of Bakunin/Marx concerning Marx's possible authoritarianism and the idea of the 'dictatorship of the proletariat'...? If he could critically analyze those four Masters, then I would have been significantly more impressed. I suspect that he may be overly careful about offending and he may even be catering to populist sentiments. He wants the Marxists and the religious folk all in one go. The contradiction and the lack of depth is too much for me to say this is a work of genius (5 stars). 4 stars for trying (but ultimately failing)to legitimately bring us out of alienation and separateness.

A wise book by a truly productive and wonderful human being.

Get a copy of this book. It will change your life. A must read before you leave the face of this earth. A refreshing look at yourself, other people and the world you live in. Fromm is the best!

A wise book by a truly productive and wonderful human being.

Get a copy of this book. It can change your life. A must read before you leave the face of this earth. An insightful and wise view of life, other people and the world you live in. Fromm is the best. Thank God he lived and wrote everything down for us, and all we have to do is learn from it. After Fromm, you have no excuses for not "getting it".