Eric Fromm and his human needs theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Eric Fromm and his human needs theory - Essay Example Erich Fromm, who was born in Germany in the year 1900, was exposed to the horrors of the first world war (Boeree, n.d., p.3). The evil nature of the leaders, the mute submission of the civilians to the dictatorship and the way the society functioned developed Erich Fromm’s interest in psychology and social structure. He tried to find the answer to his search for the question, â€Å"what drives man to behave the way he does?†, in the psychoanalytical theories of Freud and social theories of Karl Marx (Boeree, n.d., p.4). However, he found that both the theories are incomplete as they treat man either as an individual or as a social animal (Boeree, n.d., p.4). He thinks that human being’s personal and social aspects are related and hence, his behavior and motives cannot be explained by separating the individual and the social aspects of his life (Boeree, n.d., p.4). Hence, Erich Fromm postulated a theory called ‘Human Needs Theory’, to explain those ne eds of human beings which drive them to behave the way they do and in doing so, has touched every aspect of the human personality(Boeree, n.d., p.10). By explaining how human behavior is not just a result of personal needs but also is a result of his dynamic relationship with existential aspects of life, Erich From has given us one of the most complete theories of human behavior (Boeree, n.d., p.10). According to Erich Fromm, the conditions of the society in which the human being exists, give birth to his needs (Wozniak, 2000, p.44). He does agree with other behaviorists when they say that every human being has basic biological needs like adequate nourishment and shelter, and meeting those biological needs can provide them with a sense of satisfaction