The Definition Of Power According To Erich Fromm

The definition of strength, according to Erich Fromm, is an exercise of inner reflection that we should all perform. In a complex world, which tends to self-destruct, moving towards a purely technological society as expected, our only hope is to truly develop as human beings.

That development implies the attainment of abundance in terms of responsibility, freedom and self-knowledge. A pioneer of what he called the psychoanalysis of radical humanism, Fromm was a philosopher and social psychologist who we would do well to consult periodically. 

Not only is he still one of the most enlightened minds of our time. He also continues to lead that intellectual struggle that seeks to shape a kind of altruistic society aimed at more solidarity-based values.

This psychoanalyst of German-Jewish descent went beyond Freudian theories. He chose a broader, more sensitive and also critical perspective to analyze the general condition of humanity and its problems.

He did not devise any form of therapy to treat people’s pain and suffering, as Viktor Frankl, for example, would.

However, Fromm was, is and will always be the voice of conscience encouraging us to appreciate the situation we find ourselves in, and in turn what we should strive for. His ideas about human strength are very interesting. We will analyze them below.

The definition of strength according to Erich Fromm: what is it?

The definition of strength according to Erich Fromm appears in some of his most notable works. One of these works, the most interesting, was The Revolution of Hope.

In this book, he spoke about the need to become activists of humanity. People who are able to claim values ​​that challenge the risks of society of the technological age.

To understand this perspective, we need to put things in context. Erich Fromm was forced to flee Germany in 1934 after the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) took power. Much of his perspective is rooted in the horror and futility of World War II.

He later emigrated to the United States, where he led several peace movements, rebelled against the Vietnam War and called himself an idealist of a radical and humanistic form of socialism.

For much of his life he was disappointed in the kind of society he had lived in. First in Germany in the 1930s and later in the United States during the Nixon era.

That is why he urges people in his book The Revolution of Hope to an individual transformation. A transformation that would cause a paradigm shift in our technological society. One of those changes was based on the importance of learning to be strong.

There are three kinds of power (and not all of them are good)

Erich Fromm’s definition of power urges us to do two things. First, to commit ourselves to hope and faith. Second, knowing how to respond to violence, submission, futility, and selfishness. All this leads to the need to learn to be responsible, both for ourselves and for our involvement in society.

However, it is also interesting to note that Fromm distinguishes three types of strengths. Two of them are not useful to us because they do not help us progress or achieve happiness. It concerns the following points:

• When people show a sense of strength based on violence and aggression and on taking on challenges just to show their own worth (or rather, their selfishness).
• When people show some kind of power that comes from the imposition of an authority figure. That is, we are forced to do things and act as a result of fear.

Finally, we find the main idea in theory Fromm about the kind of power which we would have to pursue. It is a state of fearlessness. A state in which we can develop and transform our society with the help of optimism, faith and hope.

The definition of strength according to Erich Fromm urges us to achieve completeness

The definition of force according to Erich Fromm is very reminiscent of that of Spinoza. According to this Dutch philosopher of Sephardic descent, being strong has little to do with physical endurance or even courage. Strength is a virtue associated with determination and generosity.

Fromm takes that idea and adds the concept of faith as the commitment a person must make for his own progress and that of society.

Something he points out in his book The Revolution of Hope is that people have a crust of despair and resignation about them. This is dangerous because resignation involves captivity, loss of freedom and submission.

We need drive, faith and enthusiasm. So, as he explains in his book To Have or to Be , we need to foster joy and spontaneity. Only when we are spontaneous can we show our freedom.

Fromm’s definition of power urges us to self-fulfillment, to know ourselves in order to attain the enlightenment that will lead to fulfillment. It is then when we become fearless humans that open the door to another exceptional dimension: daring.

To be brave means to give up idols, shackles and irrational thoughts to fight for authentic values ​​with which we can create a more just, altruistic and supportive society.