Fromm’s rigor reduced the materialist conception of history to absurdity.

Evidence

Fromm maintained, with a rigorousness which did not flinch even in the face of glaring paradoxes, that the economy determined humanity’s fate. `The quasi-neurotic behaviour of the masses, which is an appropriate response to the damaging and pointless conditions of life they are inevitably faced with, cannot, therefore, be “healed” by “analysis”. It will only be “healed” by the alteration and elimination of these conditions of life.’ … Although he did not acknowledge it, this was reducing the materialist conception of history to the absurd. First, it was shown that the tight functioning of society would not permit any radical change in the conditions of life; then it was said that only a radical change in the conditions of life would be able to change the behaviour of the masses. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 233

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 233
• XREF: connects to: Fromm’s economic determinism collapsed into paradox, preparing his turn to messianic humanism — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 233; Fromm conflated sadomasochistic character with authoritarian society, losing the psychological dimension — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 616

Broader Connections

• Fromm’s economic determinism collapsed into paradox, preparing his turn to messianic humanism #expands (0.85) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 233
• Fromm conflated sadomasochistic character with authoritarian society, losing the psychological dimension #qualifies (0.80) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 616