Time and Place:New York at Kaufman Concert Hall on May 13, 1964

Abstract:The lecture series Humanism and the Hebrew Bible presents first results of Fromm’s book project You Shall Be as Gods. A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition which was published in 1966. The second lecture on The Nature of Man starts with Fromm’s understanding of the Hebrew Bible, arguing that the concept of man is de-mythologized and de-idealized. The problem of humans lies in the inclination for incestuous fixation to blood, soil, and idols, that liberates from the obligation and responsibility to make choices and from the task to arrive at freedom. This passion to remain bound to that behind which and in which he can find shelter is the opposite of the tendency to grow and to unfold which is common to all living system. Religion can serve either the one or the other goal. For Fromm the whole Old Testament is a story of wandering, of emigration, and never a story of settlement – which particularly holds true for the Messianic idea of the prophets or for ritual symbols of the Matzahs and the Sukkah. The function of the Prophets is precisely that of alternativism. Against the backdrop of the choice between incestuous fixation and longing for freedom humans are confronted with the alternative consequences of each course. Those alternatives are exemplified in the lecture by examples. – The lecture was given by Erich Fromm on the invitation of the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association at Kaufman Concert Hall. The lecture (68’) is followed by Fromm’s answers (30’) to questions from the audience.

The text of the lecture and discussion can be downloaded as a PDF file.

ID in the directory of Erich Fromm’s works (https://fromm-online.org/en/works/original-writings/): 1964n-eng