Braune Erich Fromm's Revolutionary Hope

Prophetic Messianism as a Critical Theory of the Future
1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-94-6209-812-1
Verlag: SensePublishers
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 243 Seiten

Reihe: Energy

'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

Autoren/Hrsg.

Braune, Joan

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;TABLE OF CONTENTS;8
2;FOREWORD;10
3;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;12
4;INTRODUCTION;14
4.1;THE FUTURE AS A CONTEMPORARY PROBLEM;17
4.2;THE REDISCOVERY OF ERICH FROMM AND MESSIANISM;19
4.3;NOTES;23
5;PART I:EARLY FROMM AND WEIMAR GERMANY;26
5.1;CHAPTER 1:ERICH FROMM’S LEGACY AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE EARLY FRANKFURT SCHOOL;27
5.1.1;1.1 THE AIRBRUSHING OF FROMM FROM THE HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE;28
5.1.2;1.2 THE LEHRHAUS TO THE THERAPEUTICUM;35
5.1.3;1.3 FROMM AND THE INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH;41
5.1.4;INTERLUDE: FROMM FROM MEXICO TO SWITZERLAND;57
5.1.4.1;Erich Fromm and the High Priests of Psychoanalysis;57
5.1.4.2;Fromm and Professional Psychoanalytic Organizations;57
5.1.4.3;Fromm’s Psychoanalytic Legacy;60
5.1.4.4;Fromm’s Critique of Freud and His Circle;61
5.1.4.5;Erich Fromm as Left-wing Activist;63
5.1.5;NOTES;68
5.2;CHAPTER 2:WEIMAR GERMANY, PROPHETIC TO APOCALYPTIC;71
5.2.1;2.1 THE GERMAN JEWISH LEFT AND THE MILIEU OF WEIMAR GERMANY;78
5.2.1.1;Landauer: Anarchism and Romanticism;82
5.2.1.2;The Religion of Reason;87
5.2.2;2.2 THREE FROM THE FREIES JÜDISCHES LEHRHAUS;91
5.2.2.1;Paths in Messianism;91
5.2.2.2;The Anarchic Break-in of Transcendence;95
5.2.2.3;Types of Messianism in Scholem;98
5.2.2.4;The Star of Inwardness;102
5.2.3;2.3 TWO “THEOLOGIANS OF THE REVOLUTION”;105
5.2.3.1;The World is Not Yet True;106
5.2.3.2;Ernst Bloch’s Messianism;108
5.2.3.3;Conversion to Totality;110
5.2.3.4;Notes on “What is Orthodox Marxism?” (March 1919);111
5.2.3.5;Notes on “The Marxism of Rosa Luxemburg” (January 1921);112
5.2.3.6;A Possible Answer, Through a Biographical Reflection on Lukács;114
5.2.4;2.4 AIR FROM OTHER PLANETS: STEFAN GEORGE’S REACTIONARY ANTINOMIANISM;117
5.2.4.1;Herbert Marcuse and Apocalyptic Messianism;120
5.2.4.2;Two Quotations from Stefan George;121
5.2.4.3;Eating from the Tree of Knowledge;124
5.2.4.4;Soothsaying from Coffee Grounds;127
5.2.4.5;Benjamin’s Restorative Messianism;128
5.2.5;NOTES;132
6;PART II: ERICH FROMM’S CONCEPTS OF HOPEAND MESSIANISM;136
6.1;CHAPTER 3:WHAT HOPE ISN’T AND IS;137
6.1.1;3.1 WHAT HOPE IS NOT;137
6.1.1.1;1. Hope is Not Desire or Wish;139
6.1.1.2;2. Hope is not Passivity or Inactivity;142
6.1.1.3;3. Hope Does not Attempt to Force the Messiah;145
6.1.2;3.2 WHAT HOPE IS;154
6.1.3;3.3 GROUNDS FOR HOPE;157
6.1.4;NOTES;166
6.2;CHAPTER 4:FROMM’S CONCEPTS OF PROPHETIC AND CATASTROPHIC MESSIANISM;169
6.2.1;4.1 APOCALYPTIC VS. PROPHETIC MESSIANISM: RESPONSE TO EDUARDO MENDIETA;174
6.2.2;FROMM’S PROPHETIC MESSIANISM VS. CATASTROPHIC MESSIANISM: FIVE KEY THEMES;176
6.2.2.1;1. Rupture;176
6.2.2.2;2. Anamnesis and Golden Age;177
6.2.2.3;3. The Enlightenment;188
6.2.2.4;4. Progress and Catastrophe;193
6.2.2.5;5. Utopia: Imagining the Future;197
6.2.3;4.2 THE ECSTATIC-CATHARTIC MODEL VS. PROPHETIC MESSIANISM: RESPONSE TO RAINER FUNK;203
6.2.4;NOTES;207
6.3;CONCLUSION;212
6.3.1;EPILOGUE (POLEMICAL POSTSCRIPT);218
6.3.2;NOTE;224
7;REFERENCES;226
8;ABBREVIATIONS;236
9;NAME INDEX;237