Erich Fromm viewed human beings differently despite being a Post Freudian. Identify his view from the statements given below:
A. being purposeful and goal directed.
B. basically social beings.
C. Sexual aggressive beings.
D. guided by aims and aspirations.
E. Personality develops from our experiences with other individuals.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → B and E only
A. being purposeful and goal directed. Incorrect. This is Alfred Adler’s basic assumption in his individual psychology: human behaviour is purposeful and goal-directed, and our personal goals are the sources of our motivation.
B. basically social beings. Correct. In contrast to Freud’s biological orientation, Fromm developed his theory from a social orientation. He viewed human beings as basically social beings who could be understood in terms of their relationship with others.
C. Sexual aggressive beings. Incorrect. This is Freud’s view, built on the sexual and aggressive tendencies of the id. The post-Freudian theories give these tendencies a less prominent role, and Fromm replaced them with a social view.
D. guided by aims and aspirations. Incorrect. This is Carl Jung’s view: he saw human beings guided as much by aims and aspirations as by sex and aggression.
E. Personality develops from our experiences with other individuals. Correct. Fromm holds that character traits (personality) develop from our experiences with other individuals, which follows from his social view of human beings.
NCERT (2025-26): “Post-Freudian Approaches … These theorists have been called neo-analytic, or post-Freudian in order to differentiate their work from Freud’s. These theories are characterised by less prominent roles to sexual and aggressive tendencies of the id and expansion of the concept of ego. The human qualities of creativity, competence, and problem solving abilities are emphasised. Some of these theories are briefly described here. Carl Jung : Aims and Aspirations Jung worked with Freud in his early stages of career, but later on he broke away from Freud. Jung saw human beings guided as much by aims and aspirations as by sex and aggression.…” “Erich Fromm : The Human Concerns … In contrast to Freud’s biological orientation, Fromm developed his theory from a social orientation. He viewed human beings as basically social beings who could be understood in terms of their relationship with others. He argued that psychological qualities such as growth and realisation of potentials resulted from a desire for freedom, and striving for justice and truth. Fromm holds that character traits (personality) develop from our experiences with other individuals. While culture is shaped by the mode of existence of a given society, people’s dominant character traits in a given society work as forces in shaping the social processes and the culture itself.…” “Alfred Adler : Lifestyle and Social Interest … Adler’s theory is known as individual psychology. His basic assumption is that human behaviour is purposeful and goal-directed. Each one of us has the capacity to choose and create. Our personal goals are the sources of our motivation.…” |