Comparative analysis of the method in social sciences by Erich Fromm and Alfred Schutz

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15421/272116

Abstract

Paper views the vantage points on social reality of social psychologist Erich Fromm and social phenomenologist Alfred Schutz. Two different approaches towards the research in social sciences are compared – the collectivistic and individualistic approach. Collectivistic approach views global factors in forming of the individual and his relations with the surrounding society. Such factors are political system, global economic and political events, religion, ideology etc. So Fromm analyzes Reformation and how it influenced the formation of individualism and feeling of shame in the mind of the European human. From Reformation Fromm goes to analysis of historical development of fascists political systems and totalitarianism as a whole as well as the connections to psychology of ordinary representatives of such societies. Individualistic approach views separate events in the life of an individual which change his worldview and influence how he sees the society and his place in it. So, some separate special event which happened in the individual’s childhood is stored in his memory and makes decisive influence on the formation of his character. The notion of an authoritarian personality created by Fromm is analyzed and it is extrapolated for the case of individualistic microsociology. Such an authoritarian personality is an individual who tends to choose sadomasochism for his behavior which consists in following the strong power and showing his own power over others (sadism). Fromm explains the appearance of this type of personality and its dominance in society through fear of freedom and responsibility which provokes escape from this freedom through «melting» of personality in social structures. Sadomasochistic patterns in behavior of authoritarian personality in the context of individualistic approach are explained with the help of phenomenology as lacking of the appresentation mechanism of other personalities which leads to pathological changes in the mind of such an individual. In this way, the paper studies different concepts and ideas by Fromm and Schutz as well as the global difference between two profoundly separate approaches in social sciences. The psychological approach to description of a social reality as a whole. Some ideas of the founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud are cited and his conception is postulated to be a part of individualistic approach to description of relations between individual and the society. Special attention is given to the notion of trauma and this concept if viewed in the context of individualistic approach in social sciences. Individualistic approach is a strong trend in social sciences which was followed by not only philosophers but also thinkers, writers, creative people in general. Nevertheless, paper centers on argumentation of advantages of the collectivistic approach. The paper will be of interest for those researching in the field of social philosophy, sociology, social psychology.

Published

2021-12-19