Erich Fromm's Revolutionary Hope (eBook)

Prophetic Messianism as a Critical Theory of the Future

Joan Braune (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2014 | 2014
XXIV, 224 Seiten
Sensepublishers (Verlag)
978-94-6209-812-1 (ISBN)

Infos

'Socialism ... is essentially prophetic Messianism ...' So Erich Fromm writes in his 1961 classic Marx's Concept of Man. World-renowned Critical Theorist, activist, psychoanalyst, and public Marxist intellectual, Erich Fromm (1900-1980) played a pivotal role in the early Frankfurt Institute for Social Research and influenced emancipatory projects in multiple disciplines. While he remains popularly well known as author of such best-selling books as Escape from Freedom and The Art of Loving, Fromm's contribution to Critical Theory is now being rediscovered. Fromm's work on messianism in the 1950s-1970s responded to earlier debates among early twentieth century German Jewish thinkers and radicals, including Hermann Cohen, Rosa Luxemburg, Martin Buber, Gershom Scholem, and Georg Lukács. The return to Fromm, as well as growing interest in Jewish messianism's influence on the Frankfurt School, makes this book timely. Fromm's bold defense of radical hope and trenchant critique of political catastrophism are more relevant than ever. 'Joan Braune's work on Erich Fromm is indispensable for students of Frankfurt School critical theory ... Braune reveals the central role that Fromm played in the early development of Frankfurt School critical theory. She also discloses the role that Fromm played in shaping some of the most important debates in critical theory. One of the most interesting issues that informed the debates among early critical theorists was messianism and its political implications. There is no better book on this issue. Those of us who are interested in the development of Frankfurt School critical theory owe Dr. Braune a great deal of gratitude.' - Arnold L. Farr, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Kentucky, President, International Herbert Marcuse Society 'Joan Braune's work on Fromm brings this important figure in critical theory back into the conversation at a needed time. It also appears at a time when we must recapture prophetic messianism - the hope in humanity for a better future.' Jeffery Nicholas, Providence College, author of Reason, Tradition, and the Good: MacIntyre's Tradition-Constituted Reason and Frankfurt School Critical Theory

---

"e;Socialism ... is essentially prophetic Messianism ..."e; So Erich Fromm writes in his 1961 classic Marx's Concept of Man. World-renowned Critical Theorist, activist, psychoanalyst, and public Marxist intellectual, Erich Fromm (1900-1980) played a pivotal role in the early Frankfurt Institute for Social Research and influenced emancipatory projects in multiple disciplines. While he remains popularly well known as author of such best-selling books as Escape from Freedom and The Art of Loving, Fromm's contribution to Critical Theory is now being rediscovered. Fromm's work on messianism in the 1950s-1970s responded to earlier debates among early twentieth century German Jewish thinkers and radicals, including Hermann Cohen, Rosa Luxemburg, Martin Buber, Gershom Scholem, and Georg Lukacs. The return to Fromm, as well as growing interest in Jewish messianism's influence on the Frankfurt School, makes this book timely. Fromm's bold defense of radical hope and trenchant critique of political catastrophism are more relevant than ever. "e;Joan Braune's work on Erich Fromm is indispensable for students of Frankfurt School critical theory Braune reveals the central role that Fromm played in the early development of Frankfurt School critical theory. She also discloses the role that Fromm played in shaping some of the most important debates in critical theory. One of the most interesting issues that informed the debates among early critical theorists was messianism and its political implications. There is no better book on this issue. Those of us who are interested in the development of Frankfurt School critical theory owe Dr. Braune a great deal of gratitude."e; - Arnold L. Farr, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Kentucky, President, International Herbert Marcuse Society "e;Joan Braune's work on Fromm brings this important figure in critical theory back into the conversation at a needed time. It also appears at a time when we must recapture prophetic messianism - the hope in humanity for a better future."e; Jeffery Nicholas, Providence College, author of Reason, Tradition, and the Good: MacIntyre's Tradition-Constituted Reason and Frankfurt School Critical Theory

Inhalt

TABLE OF CONTENTS 8
FOREWORD 10
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 12
INTRODUCTION 14
THE FUTURE AS A CONTEMPORARY PROBLEM 17
THE REDISCOVERY OF ERICH FROMM AND MESSIANISM 19
NOTES 23
PART I:EARLY FROMM AND WEIMAR GERMANY 26
CHAPTER 1:ERICH FROMM’S LEGACY AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE EARLY FRANKFURT SCHOOL 27
1.1 THE AIRBRUSHING OF FROMM FROM THE HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE 28
1.2 THE LEHRHAUS TO THE THERAPEUTICUM 35
1.3 FROMM AND THE INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH 41
INTERLUDE: FROMM FROM MEXICO TO SWITZERLAND 57
Erich Fromm and the High Priests of Psychoanalysis 57
Fromm and Professional Psychoanalytic Organizations 57
Fromm’s Psychoanalytic Legacy 60
Fromm’s Critique of Freud and His Circle 61
Erich Fromm as Left-wing Activist 63
NOTES 68
CHAPTER 2:WEIMAR GERMANY, PROPHETIC TO APOCALYPTIC 71
2.1 THE GERMAN JEWISH LEFT AND THE MILIEU OF WEIMAR GERMANY 78
Landauer: Anarchism and Romanticism 82
The Religion of Reason 87
2.2 THREE FROM THE FREIES JÜDISCHES LEHRHAUS 91
Paths in Messianism 91
The Anarchic Break-in of Transcendence 95
Types of Messianism in Scholem 98
The Star of Inwardness 102
2.3 TWO “THEOLOGIANS OF THE REVOLUTION” 105
The World is Not Yet True 106
Ernst Bloch’s Messianism 108
Conversion to Totality 110
Notes on “What is Orthodox Marxism?” (March 1919) 111
Notes on “The Marxism of Rosa Luxemburg” (January 1921) 112
A Possible Answer, Through a Biographical Reflection on Lukács 114
2.4 AIR FROM OTHER PLANETS: STEFAN GEORGE’S REACTIONARY ANTINOMIANISM 117
Herbert Marcuse and Apocalyptic Messianism 120
Two Quotations from Stefan George 121
Eating from the Tree of Knowledge 124
Soothsaying from Coffee Grounds 127
Benjamin’s Restorative Messianism 128
NOTES 132
PART II: ERICH FROMM’S CONCEPTS OF HOPEAND MESSIANISM 136
CHAPTER 3:WHAT HOPE ISN’T AND IS 137
3.1 WHAT HOPE IS NOT 137
1. Hope is Not Desire or Wish 139
2. Hope is not Passivity or Inactivity 142
3. Hope Does not Attempt to Force the Messiah 145
3.2 WHAT HOPE IS 154
3.3 GROUNDS FOR HOPE 157
NOTES 166
CHAPTER 4:FROMM’S CONCEPTS OF PROPHETIC AND CATASTROPHIC MESSIANISM 169
4.1 APOCALYPTIC VS. PROPHETIC MESSIANISM: RESPONSE TO EDUARDO MENDIETA 174
FROMM’S PROPHETIC MESSIANISM VS. CATASTROPHIC MESSIANISM: FIVE KEY THEMES 176
1. Rupture 176
2. Anamnesis and Golden Age 177
3. The Enlightenment 188
4. Progress and Catastrophe 193
5. Utopia: Imagining the Future 197
4.2 THE ECSTATIC-CATHARTIC MODEL VS. PROPHETIC MESSIANISM: RESPONSE TO RAINER FUNK 203
NOTES 207
CONCLUSION 212
EPILOGUE (POLEMICAL POSTSCRIPT) 218
NOTE 224
REFERENCES 226
ABBREVIATIONS 236
NAME INDEX 237

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 26.11.2014
• Reihe/Serie: Imagination and Praxis: Criticality and Creativity in Education and Educational Research
• Zusatzinfo: XXIV, 224 p.
• Verlagsort: Rotterdam
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Elektrotechnik / Energietechnik
• Schlagworte: Critical theory • Erich Fromm • Hope • JEWISH MESSIANISM • Marxism
• ISBN-10: 94-6209-812-3 / 9462098123
• ISBN-13: 978-94-6209-812-1 / 9789462098121