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Cover of The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm

The Art of Loving

Erich Fromm

  • 138 pages · about 2 hours
  • First published 1956
  • 101 editions
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1 About this book

"The Art of Loving" (1956) is a seminal work by psychoanalyst and social philosopher Erich Fromm. In this book, Fromm explores the concept of love in a profound and comprehensive manner, arguing that love is not just a passive feeling but an art that requires practice, knowledge, and effort.

Through a detailed analysis, Fromm demystifies the idea that love is something that simply happens, proposing that it must be cultivated like any other skill. He divides love into different categories, including brotherly love, motherly love, erotic love, self-love, and love of God, discussing the characteristics and challenges of each.

Fromm also addresses the nature of love in modern society, criticizing the commercialization and superficiality of human relationships. He suggests that the true essence of love lies in the ability to give, to commit, and to genuinely care for the well-being of others, rather than seeking personal satisfaction alone.

  • Psychology
  • Philosophy
  • Ethics
  • Love
  • Emotions
  • Vision

2 What to expect

A short work of psychology and social philosophy arguing that love is a skill to be learned and practiced, not a feeling one falls into. Fromm distinguishes kinds of love, between parent and child, brotherly, erotic, of oneself and of God, criticizes how consumer society distorts them, and closes on the discipline, concentration and patience that loving requires. It is readable but theoretical, a product of the 1950s in its views on sex and gender, and not a relationship manual.

Good for readers who want: the philosophy of love, a short classic of psychology, and big ideas about love.

3 About Erich Fromm

1900–1980

Erich Seligmann Fromm (, German:; March 23, 1900 – March 18, 1980) was a German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist. He was a German Jew who fled the Nazi regime and settled in the United States.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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