Time and Place:New York at Kaufman Concert Hall on April 4, 1968

Abstract: The lecture series The Causes of Human Aggression and Destructiveness presents the results of research published by Erich Fromm in his book The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness (1973). The second lecture starts by outlining Sigmund Freud’s drive theory, revised in 1920, and explains Freud’s understanding of the life and death instincts. Using the example of the question discussed with Einstein, “Why war?”, Fromm points to the change in Freud’s concept of instinct. He discusses in great detail the question of why Freud did not connect his theory of life and death instincts with the polarity of the sexes. Hence Fromm criticizes Freud for having underestimated eros. The last part of the lecture deals with aspects of Freud’s death instinct and the theories of Wilhelm Reich and Herbert Marcuse. – 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 (54’) is followed by Fromm’s answers (13’) 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/): 1968o-eng