Why would a person fear freedom?

By entitling his book "Escape from Freedom" Fromm conjures up what seems to be a paradox. How can a person escape from freedom? And why would one wish to escape? As Fromm develops his argument it becomes clear, however, that to understand what he means one must redefine the way one thinks about freedom.

Most people think of freedom as freedom from something, Fromm argues, usually freedom from some kind of external constraint. This is the kind of freedom that men have struggled to achieve in the formation of democracy, he points out, which propose to guarantee freedom of speech, freedom of religious practice and other freedoms without interference. This freedom from external control is indeed freedom, Fromm writes, but it comes at a cost.

The more a person is free, Fromm argues, the less he is connected to others. Fromm uses the example of freedom of speech. When this freedom does not exist, nobody is able to express their own ideas freely. Once this freedom does exist and people are able to express themselves openly they become more aware that they do not feel and think the same way as others in their society. This contributes to a feeling of isolation from one's group, he claims. Many people choose to remain silent or to adopt the dominant ideas of their group rather than exercise their freedom. Thus the freedom itself becomes a constraint and a burden because the social structure does not fully support it.

Confronted with these new freedoms, people try to compensate, Fromm argues. They try to escape from the isolation and fear that freedom creates. This is what Fromm means by "escaping from freedom." Unable to cope with their isolation and fear, individuals seek to reconnect with their society by making themselves helpless and dependent on others. At the same time, they seek strength in their independence by making others dependent on them. Fromm calls this an "authoritarian" character, which he argues is at the root of the Fascist movement and the Nazi party.

This escape mechanism explains why people will willingly support a movement that is as morally repugnant as the Nazi movement appears to be, Fromm suggests. The Nazi party promises freedom from the fear and isolation that haunt modern Germans, he argues, but it is a false kind of freedom.

Fromm is careful to note that the political freedoms offered by democracies are positive freedoms, but they can still create the kind of fear and isolation that make a society susceptible to those who would manipulate it. To make these kinds of freedom complete, a society must support a positive development of the individual, Fromm claims. Only then will freedom be properly defined and realized.