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Erich Fromm on How to Be Happy
In this book, philosophy professor, founder and editor of the Daily Philosophy web magazine, Dr Andreas Matthias takes the reader on a tour, looking at how society influences our happiness. Following Erich Fromm, the Frankfurt School, Aldous Huxley and other thinkers, we go in search of wisdom and guidance on how we can live better, happier and more satisfying lives today.
In the book, the author begins with a look at Erich Fromm’s life and work, and then he discusses Fromm’s most prominent contributions to the philosophy of happiness:
- The “escape from freedom”
- The psychology of capitalism
- Fromm’s criticism of modern technology and technological progress
- Living one’s life in the states of “having” or “being”
- How to develop one’s skills for a happier life
- Fromm’s critique of consumerism and his ideal society
- Eastern and Western concepts of happiness
- The Art of Loving and what love means in modern society
- And, finally, Marx’s ideas about alienation and what we can do about it
The book not only describes abstract ideas, but, in his well-known way, the author applies these ideas to our own everyday lives.
After almost every chapter, there is a section titled “Let’s try it out!”, where the author invites readers to apply Fromm’s concepts to their own, everyday lives. From decluttering one’s house to attempting to live through a weekend without using any money, the book is filled with suggestions and ideas on how to live a more meaningful and more satisfying life today.
As opposed to thousands of shallow self-help books, Dr Matthias utilises his decades-long experience in teaching philosophy to young students to go back to the actual thoughts of the writers discussed and to make them come alive for our own world.
This book is part of a series on six classic theories of happiness: Aristotle, Erich Fromm and social psychoanalysis, Epicurean philosophy, the hermit life and Stoicism. Each book provides a unique, deep and refreshing insight into the best thoughts that millennia of philosophical wisdom have to give us.
Start your journey into a richer and more meaningful life today!
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You may also wish to look at the author’s other books in the same series:
Read the full article which is published on Daily Philosophy (external link)
