Obedience The End of Humanity As We Know It
Obedience: The End of Humanity As We Know It A Critique of “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem” by Erich Fromm In the essay “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem” Erich Fromm states that the ability to disobey is what makes us human and that obedience will be the eventual downfall of life on earth. Fromm not only makes outrageous claims about the end of the world, but he also fails to provide enough real life examples to back up his theory. ... This story, he claims, shows that humanity began with disobedience. From this he concludes that humanity will end because of its opposite, obedience. ... Fromm draws from this story that Prometheus’ disobedience allowed humanity to mature. ... He then states that because of obedience “there is a possibility, or even the probability, that the human race will destroy civilization or even all life upon earth within the next five to ten years” (Fromm 213). ... Fromm’s next point is sometimes disobedience to one type of law is obedience to another. ... Fromm then describes the different types of obedience. “Heteronomeus obedience” or obeying something external, he feels, is giving in.