Time and Place:New York at Kaufman Concert Hall on April 23, 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). In the seventh and final lecture, Fromm speaks of specific human kinds of destructiveness beyond defending the interest of survival and other vital interests. Human beings – besides many other competencies – are also able to experience ecstasis in a psycho-spiritual sense as well as in an extraordinary destructive way. Among the forms of ecstatic destructiveness sadism attempts total control and omnipotence while necrophilia is attracted to all that is dead, decaying, not alive and mechanical. The lecture is followed by Fromm’s answers to questions from the audience. – 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 (64’) is followed by Fromm’s answers (25’) 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/): 1968t-eng