Fromm, Erich

(born March 23, 1900, Frankfurt am Main, Ger.—died March 18, 1980, Muralto, Switz.) German-born U.S. psychoanalyst and social philosopher. A disciple of Sigmund Freud, Fromm joined the Frankfurt school in the 1920s and left Nazi Germany for the U.S in 1933. Taking issue with Freud, he came to believe in the interaction of psychology and society and argued that psychoanalytic principles could be applied to cure cultural ills. He taught at various institutions, including the National University of Mexico (1951–67) and New York University (from 1962). His many books, which had popular as well as academic success, included (1941), (1955), and (1970); (1956) became a durable best-seller.

Find more information on Fromm, Erich. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Fromm, Erich.