Escape From Freedom Response
Arguably, if human beings fail to live with the instabilities as well as responsibilities born by freedom, it will no doubt change to authoritarianism. This is the main theme in the book “Escape from Freedom.” The book is essential to our contemporary society when people are struggling to attain political power. The book was published in 1941 by Erich Fromm to address the issue facing society then (Fromm, 2014). Few books address the issues raised by the author of the “Escape from Freedom” book. The book has provided insights into the forces that have structured modern society and the existence of authoritarian systems. It also shows how power has ruined society since people what to exercise bureaucracy in serving the public.
The author opposes the structure in the society that portrays chief or rather boss as the individual entrusted with our freedom (Fromm, 2014). He points out that bureaucracy has numerous limitations that hinder development and freedom in society. He also warns people about obedience because it plunges society into abject oppression by its leaders. In our modern society, people are oppressed due to their total obedience to those in power. The society should stage peaceful demonstration and civil disobedience to show dissatisfaction of oppression perpetrated by leaders. The author asserts that it is a functional stupidity that makes people not question their leaders or organizational managers when their freedom limited (Fromm, 2014). For instance, in business organizations, employees tend to keep quiet when they are denied their freedom arguing that they are obeying orders to save their careers, but in a real sense, they are suffering from what they should have demanded their freedom.
Moreover, Fromm opines that choice and human action, as well as thinking, is viewed as sin after the realization of civilization. Humankind is powerless and is insecure in a civilized society where leaders tend to act like semi-gods who demand obedience from ordinary people, thus denying them freedom. He approached the concept of freedom in many perspectives, such as economic movements, historical events, social and biological relationships. In my opinion, financial freedom is good when practiced in a capitalist economy because everybody will have the opportunity to create his or her wealth without limitation. In a nutshell, freedom is good for s country which desires to develop in all aspects, either social, economic, or political (Fromm, 2014). I oppose the capitalism freedom that came after the abolishment of the feudal system because, as far as man was free to do what he or she can, he became more insecure and isolated. The solution provided by protestant churches was total work, which they argued was an indication of salvation, which was unhealthy for man because an individual cannot work without resting.
Finally, the book addresses the issue of individuality, freedom, authoritarianism, and how it shaped the modern structure of democracy (Fromm, 2014). He points out the freedom gained by an individual and how people in our modern world exercise it. At the end of the book, society is viewed as an organization that has attained freedom, and everybody is free. The author talks of freedom, which was not common in the past, but in the modern world, everybody appreciates the freedom that existed in books. Through the work of Fromm, society has transformed since it made people start thinking of freedom. The author perhaps has contributed to the thinking of modern people that we should be free and do what we want in our lives.