Fromm (1900-1980) is described as a humanistic philosopher, democratic socialist, psychoanalyst, and social psychologist. I have been familiar with some of his writings for a number of years because Fromm was a minor member of the so-called Frankfurt School (the video link I have included in this blog entry reveals Marx's influence on Fromm). Although members of the Frankfurt School famously blended together Marxist and Freudian themes, Erich Fromm was critical of Freud and accused him of being a misogynist unable to think outside of a patriarchal framework.
In The Art of Loving (first published in 1956), Fromm outlines four elements of love - care, responsibility, respect and knowledge. The third of these, respect, is bound to resonate in the mind of animal rightists:
Responsibility could easily deteriorate into domination and possessiveness, were it not for a third component of love, respect. Respect is not fear and awe; it denotes, in accordance with the root of the word (respicere = to look at), the ability to see a person as he is, to be aware of his unique individuality. Respect means the concern that the other person should grow and unfold as he is. Respect, thus, implies the absence of exploitation. I want the loved person to grow and unfold for his own sake, and in his own ways, and not for the purpose of serving me. If I love the other person, I feel one with him or her, but with him as he is, not as I need him to be as an object for my use. (2000: 26.)
(This quote contains some elements of the Frankfurt School's discussion of "instrumental rationality" - see pp. 6-7 here.)
4 comments:
I'm coming to believe more and more that the human creates a "vision" of living that is truly a tyranny of sight. "To see a person as he is" is to not, in fact, "see him", but instead to feel him.
We find the truth with our other senses; we live a lie with our eyes.
Thinking about the sentence...."Respect means the concern that the other person should grow and unfold as he is."
I am in love with a person who decides not to live a vegan life. I don't see how we could have a future together if he does not wake up and go vegan. I've been called intolerant, pushy, judgmental, and fanatical by close friends who know the situation. I want to love him and allow him to "grow and unfold as he is", but can a vegan abolitionist build a life with a non-vegan? My friend keeps reminding me that Christians marry Jews, and that I have to accept his choice. It's not that easy though.
Yes, that sounds like a terrible hard situation. I suppose your partner is vegan often just due to being with you and going places with you? I guess one thing must be true, that he would be less of a vegan if not with you?
As for the quote, I'm sure Fromm should not be taken to mean that a person can choose to be absolutely anything they want to be since, like all social animals, we are subject to social forces and social sanctions.
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