Reaction To Psychoanalysis And Religion

After complete reading and analysis of Erich Fromm's Psychoanalysis and Religion, it is

almost inevitable that one develops a greater understanding of religion. The idea that any common

orientation and object of devotion within a group of people constitutes as a religion really expands

your thoughts about many things in society. It forces one to take heed to the many things in life

that, based on Fromm's theory, can be called a religion.

Depending on how you interpret the ideas of Fromm, you can either agree or disagree

with him. By agreeing with the tradtional definition of religion, you can say that religions are

based on the teachings and worship of God and/or other spritual beings. However, if you choose

to argue against that idea and adopt Fromm's definition, you might say that a religion can simply

be any shared interest or devotion to a certain idea. This makes is easier for individuals to say that

they are part of some religion, if they follow Fromm's theory. Yet, if focused on the traditional

sense, you may not be able to relate to that idea so quickly.

While analyzing the context of Psychoanalysis and Religion, I began to think about the

influence of society on man. Fromm discusses his belief that the need of some form of "religion" is

necessary, for it has been embedded in society since the beginning of human existence. This forces

an individual to choose between religions, or better yet, whether or not he will conform to a

specific one at all. It also generates the idea that there is no one who can live without some frame

of orientation. This would be very hard to argue, for any common interest or hobby can be

labeled, based on Fromm's definition, as a religion.