The Radical Humanism of Erich Fromm

Durkin, K. (2014) The Radical Humanism of Erich Fromm. Series: Critical political theory and radical practice. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137436399

Abstract

Despite experiencing a limited resurgence of late, the thought of Erich Fromm is still greatly underappreciated and underutilized in the academy today. In this book, Durkin makes the case for the radical humanist social theory which emanates from Fromm's writings, showing his policy of refined continuation in relation to classical humanist thought (particularly as he saw it as manifested in Judaism, Marxism, and Freudianism) to be potentially greatly instructive in relation to the task of recovering the central categories of humanist thought that have been put out of use over the last fifty years or so. In so doing, Durkin mounts a spirited defense of Fromm against his Frankfurt School colleagues and those working within the influential anti-humanist paradigm that would seek to oppose him. Ultimately, Fromm's thinking, which consists of combinations of essentialist and constructionist aspects, and which is all-too-often taken as being superficial, is shown to be capable of positioning social theory in such a way that concerns over ethnocentrism and naiveté can be met at the same time as returning to the historical social theoretical goal of facilitating change in the world at large.

• Item Type: Books
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Durkin, Dr Kieran
• Authors: Durkin, K.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• ISBN: 9781137436399

Related URLs

• University of Glasgow Library Catalogue