Short Course: The Relevance of Erich Fromm for our Troubled World ~ December 6th, 2025

The social and political realities of 2025 present a disruptive break from what American government has traditionally provided those living in this country. Many patients and therapists alike are unsettled by this disruption. They are reporting varying degrees of existential anxiety, unsettledness and depression. Therapists are struggling to manage their reactions in order to maintain therapeutic distance for their patients. In this short course, Mauricio Cortina will explain the enduring relevance of Erich Fromm’s research and ideas for understanding today’s social and political challenges.

During the first 45 minutes, Dr. Cortina will review Fromm’s early analysis of authoritarianism. This was developed in the 1930s through extensive interviews with 600 German workers and small business owners. Fromm found that roughly 15% of his sample displayed authoritarian tendencies, another 10–15% held strong democratic convictions, and the remainder expressed no firm opinions. Based on these findings, Fromm predicted that many German workers who identified as socialists or communists might not effectively resist a Nazi takeover.

In his classic 1941 work Escape from Freedom, Fromm expanded on these ideas, offering a historical, sociological, and psychoanalytic account of the origins of authoritarianism. By studying such figures as John Calvin, Fromm analyzed the psychological dynamics of domination and submission (what he termed “sado-masochistic” tendencies), and their contribution to widespread identification with powerful, charismatic leaders—those who promised to restore a sense of national pride and lost glory.

The last hour will be spent in guided discussion, allowing participants to reflect on the continuing relevance of Fromm’s insights today. Discussion topics will include:

• How factors such as America’s racial history and severe socioeconomic inequalities might deepen or alter Fromm’s analysis
• Whether some of the same dynamics Fromm described can help explain the attraction to contemporary authoritarian figures—and what might be different today
• Where we might find realistic avenues for hope and renewal in our current social climate

Learning Objectives:

Through participating in this short course, participants will be able to:

1. Summarize Erich Fromm’s early sociological findings on authoritarian and democratic orientations in 1930s Germany.
2. Explain Fromm’s psychoanalytic framework for understanding the psychological roots of authoritarianism as outlined in Escape from Freedom.
3. Analyze parallels between the social and psychological dynamics of 1930s Germany and current political movements in the United States.

PLEASE NOTE: Recording in any form of this live streaming event is NOT permitted.

Limited space is available. Registration will be capped at 24 with a waitlist. Registration closes at noon on December 5th or when full.

About our Speaker:

Mauricio Cortina, MD is faculty of the Washington School of Psychiatry and The Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, Washington DC. and Member of the Sociedad Mexicana de Sociopsicoanalisis, Mexico City. He is the editor of four books and many published articles. His books and articles reflect his interest in the work of Erich Fromm and the Interpersonal tradition, the application of attachment theory and intersubjectivity to clinical practice and developing our understanding of human nature. He is the past president of the Red Iberoamericana de Apego and recipient of the 2019 annual John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth Award. He is a Psychiatric Fellow of the American Academy of Dynamic Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, and Honorary Member of the International Attachment Network, London.

References:

Cortina, M. (2024). Preface. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 44 (1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351690.2024.2296336 

 Frie, R. (2024). Long shadows of racism and genocide: Learning from Erich Fromm’s social psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 44 (1), 15–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351690.2024.2296339 

Fromm, E. (1941). Escape from freedom. Farrar & Rinehart. (Chapters IV–VI recommended reading)

Rudnytsky, P. L. (2024). The social determinants of psychoanalytic therapy: Fromm’s anti-authoritarian “calling card.” Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 44 (1), 11–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351690.2024.2296338 

Cost and Registration:

$75 ICP+P Members
$35 ICP+P 1st +2nd Year Members, Emerging Professionals, MITs and Graduate Student Members, and Fellows
$35 Unaffiliated Students and Fellows
$90 Non-Members

A refund for cancellation is available up to 10 days before the start date.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Continuing education credit: 2.0 CE credits available for full attendance. The Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis (ICP+P) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. ICP+P maintains responsibility for this program and its content. ICP+P is approved by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners to offer Category I continuing education credit. As our CE program receives oversight from a licensed social worker, the CE credits we award are highly likely to be recognized by licensing boards in Virginia and the District of Columbia. These continuing education credits meet the ANCC standards for nurses. Marriage and family therapists licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia may submit these CE credits to their licensing boards. (Marriage and family therapists in other jurisdictions and licensed counselors should inquire with their local Boards regarding continuing education credit.) Attendees from the above professional groups will earn 2.0 CE credits for attending the CE activity. Full attendance is required to receive the designated CE credit.

* Mauricio Cortina, MD, as presenter, and the planners have informed us that they do not have a conflict of interest and have disclosed that they have no relevant financial relationships with any commercial interests pertaining to this educational activity. Any references to “off-label” (non-FDA approved) use of medication, products or devices will be explicitly disclosed in the presentation.

CE Credit is granted to participants with documented attendance at the short course. Credit will not be granted to registrants who are more than 15 minutes late or depart more than 15 minutes early from a session.