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Judaism and the Origins of Erich Fromm's Humanistic Psychology

Judaism and the Origins of Erich Fromm’s Humanistic Psychology

The Religious Reverence of a Heretic Noam Schimmel Hebrew College

This article explores the Jewish roots of Erich Fromm’s humanistic psychology: its ethical values, conception of human nature, and societal aspirations. It analyzes key concepts in Fromm’s humanistic psychology that have Jewish antecedents, including biophilia, the rejection of idolatry and group narcissism, moral universalism, and free will. It explicates Fromm’s major work addressing Judaism and humanistic psychology, You Shall Be as Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and its Tradition, along with other texts written by Fromm that address Judaism and interpret it with a secular, humanistic orientation. The article examines how Fromm situates the Bible, the Talmud, and various rabbinic texts in relation to the development of Jewish civilization, its liberal humanistic philosophy, and the universal relevance of these texts and the values that they transmit. Keywords: Judaism; Fromm; prophets; social justice; universalism; idolatry My interest and my love of the Jewish tradition has never died and nobody can talk to me for any length of time who will not hear a Talmudic or Hasidic story. . . . I am still strongly rooted in this tradition which I love in spite of Author’s Note: The author wishes to thank Dr. Barry Mesch and the students of the Spring 2007 Graduate Research Seminar at Hebrew College for suggestions and support during the research and writing of this article. The author also wishes to thank Professor Steven Copeland, formerly of Hebrew College, who served as an adviser for his feedback and mentorship. His creativity, compassion, generosity, imagination, and humanistic and Jewish ethical commitments have been an ongoing source of inspiration. I am deeply grateful for his teaching and his friendship. His wisdom and kindness are wellsprings of strength and guidance in my life. Finally, this article and my encounter with humanistic psychology were made possible by Yochanan Ress, who introduced me to Erich Fromm and to psychology. For his friendship, openness, hospitality, tremendous warmth and humor, and humanistic and Jewish spirit which he actualizes in a most exceptional and compelling fusion, I am grateful. 9 Downloaded from jhp.sagepub.com at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on September 18, 2016