Erich Fromm on the Key to Sanity
By Maria Popova
“Every advance of intellect beyond the ordinary measure,” Schopenhauer wrote in examining the relationship between genius and insanity, “disposes to madness.” But could what is true of the individual also be true of society — could it be that the more so-called progress polishes our collective pride and the more intellectually advanced human civiliz...
Fromm’s critique of modern society as potentially insane is a provocative challenge to the assumption that progress equates to sanity. His argument that a society can be collectively pathological—despite functioning institutions—is a powerful corrective to sociological relativism. The strongest version of his narrative is that alienation, driven by materialism and passive consumption, erodes human agency, leading to a state where intelligence rises but reason deteriorates. This aligns with conte...