Escape from Freedom: Mechanisms of Fear and Subordination

This article provides an in-depth analysis of Erich Fromm's seminal work, "Escape from Freedom," translating his classic theses into contemporary reality. The text explores the crucial dichotomy between negative and positive freedom, pointing to the tragic loss of the individual in the face of a lack of external constraints. The author discusses in detail the psychosocial mechanisms of escape, such as authoritarianism, sadism, masochism, and destructiveness, which serve to reduce existential anxiety. Particular emphasis is placed on the phenomena of mechanical conformism and "algorithmic tyranny" in mass society, where the authentic self is replaced by a pseudo-self. This reading allows us to understand how a sense of powerlessness transforms into aggression and why modern man, despite apparent freedom, continues to seek structures of subordination, renouncing the struggle for self-determination.