“The Art of Loving”: A Psychobiographical Perspective on Erich Fromm’s Life and Love Concepts

Abstract

Erich Fromm (1900–1980) was a sociologist, psychoanalyst and a social and human philosopher of German-Jewish origin who fled from Germany via Geneva to the United States of America in 1934. He became globally known as the author of the book The Art of Loving (Fromm, 1956) and stated that the only way to lead a sane and satisfying human existence is through love. This psychobiographical study aims to capture the theme of love throughout the life of Erich Fromm and within selected creative works. The research methodology used is qualitative in nature and applies a psychobiographical study approach. Psychobiographies explore the lives of extraordinary individuals through psychological theories. This study focuses on the life of Fromm as a single purposefully selected individual. Data was collected from literature search in the public domains and analysed through content analysis. The study used a five-step-content analysis process of familiarisation with the data, coding and categorisation, analysis, data reconstruction and presentation. Findings trace the development of the concept of love in the life and work of Fromm. Fromm viewed love as an “art” which needs to be learned, and requires discipline, focus, concentration and patience. It is an active skill that needs effort and understanding. Different forms of love exist, such as the love of God, the love within family (motherly love, brotherly love), love in love relationships (erotic love) and the love for the self (self-love). The four core aspects of love are care, responsibility, respect and knowledge. In this article, we draw selected conclusions on how Fromm’s concept of love may have grown from his lived experience. These findings and conclusions might deserve more detailed analyses in future research.