Here are some Fromm links:
Socialist Humanism: An International Symposium edited by Erich Fromm
http://autodidactproject.org/other/socialist-humanism.html
Internationale Erich-Fromm-Gesellschaft e.V. (English version)
http://www.erich-fromm.de/e/index.htm
Origin Myths in the Social Sciences: Fromm, the Frankfurt School and the
Emergence of Critical Theory by Neil McLaughlin
http://www.ualberta.ca/%7Ecjscopy/articles/mclaughlin.html
On the 100th anniversary of his birth: Erich Fromm's Marxist dimension
by Kevin Anderson
http://www.newsandletters.org/Issues/2000/Aug-Sept/8.00_essay.htm
Note esp. the essay by Neil McLaughlin, which deals with the disputes
between Fromm and the others.
On 06/02/2010 05:46 PM, Ralph Dumain wrote:
Lenin is a separate question from the Fromm vs Marcuse controversy. I
will have to make another thorough study of Lenin's MAEC one day. My
take on it is that Lenin's critique of positivism's phenomenalism is
basically sound. Whether he missed something important about positivism
I won't venture to say at this point. Lenin's critique of Bogdanov's
theory of perception and Lenin's general theory of reflection have come
in for criticism; these seem to be his weakest points. It is important
to understand that Lenin's intervention into the philosophy of science
(antural sciences0 needs to be distinguished from his or others' views
of historical materialism; pace Lenin, these are not all of a piece.
It seems that Horkheimer, Marcuse, and Adorno treated Fromm quite badly.
In his turn, he disdained their philosophizing. Fromm and the others
were two very different sorts of people. Fromm did not understand their
brand of philosophy. His idealism is of the order of moral idealism
(also influenced by his youthful immersion in Judaism); he seems to be
overly idealistic in his assessments of others, for example. Politically
he seems rather light, though his critiques of American politics and
pathology were quite influential and important.
One can see why Marcuse and the others were irritated by him, but their
dismissal of his psychoanalytic work and their own rather dogmatic
appropriations of Freud can be faulted.
There are some articles on Marcuse vs Fromm online. I'll look for the
links. The author's name eludes me at the moment, but it will come to me.
On 06/02/2010 09:53 AM, Domhnall Ó Cobhthaigh wrote:
Stephen, sorry I don't speak German very well at all, certainly not
sufficient to read any of this material in German. But thanks anyway.
CB, I think you misinterpreted me - perhaps it's my own inadequate
self-expression - I think Bourdieu's approach is fundamentally marxist - it
does not negate marxism. On the other hand I think that he adds some
additional thoughts coherent with marxism. He has the advantage of
expressing himself very carefully and precisely.
Here's a good piece by him which covers a lot of ground:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/fr/bourdieu.htm
I think Fromm approached the same issue from a slightly different
perspective using psychoanalytic methods.
Again, I see Fromm took great care to maintain the decisive but not finally
determinate role of the (productive) material base but I think it is valid
to see how fundamentally human (animal) drives are repressed by dominant
material (social) conditions can influence ideology through the subconscious.
In both cases, I was wondering if comrades here had come across arguments
which might run counter to these. The issue at stake is the accusation of
'idealism' a la Lenin or from Marcuse. In regard to the latter, I think I
would tend to agree with Fromm who reversed the accusation to point to
Marcuse's philosophy being based on a disconnect with psychoanalytic
research (and the dogmaticism of Freudian concepts).
In regard to Lenin's assault on idealism, that's another question - perhaps
comrades would be able to give their opinions on it? There would appear to
be some consensus that it was misplaced although Timpanaro appears to stand
over the bulk of his remarks pointing to their context as opposed to their
expressed content. I do not know enough on this to really have a set opinion
so would value any thoughts.
Yours,
Domhnall
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