Eric Fromm's Disobedience As A Psychological And Moral Problem

“Individual civil disobedience was everybody's inherent right, like the right of self-defense in normal life.” - Mahatma Gandhi. Disobedience is the key to survival for society. If a civilization expects to survive happily, it must understand that it is going to have to go against its leader to ensure that the civilization gets what it wants and truly needs. Eric Fromm was a German psychoanalyst and social philosopher who wrote his eye-opening essay “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem.” In his essay, Fromm explains that disobedience plays a key role in the evolution of humanity and will save humans from extinction.
Eric Fromm develops a theory to establish his argument that acts of disobedience lead to free will. Fromm defines

Authoritarian conscience “[internalizes the] voice of an authority whom we are eager to please and afraid of displeasing” (Fromm 576) and humanistic conscience “...is the voice present in every human being and independent from external sanctions and rewards… It is the voice which calls us back to ourselves” (Fromm 576). A person who follows an authoritarian conscience will follow a command because of fear. They want to please their controller in order to prevent their wrath. Humanistic conscience does not let fear influence it. It is the voice that allows oneself’s morals and their own knowledge of right and wrong to direct their own

George Orwell, English novelist and critic, writes the essay “Shooting an Elephant.” Throughout the essay he shares a story from when he was a subdivisional police officer in Burma. He explains his actions and thoughts throughout his ordeal with an elephant that became “feral.” When Orwell finally tracks down and finds the elephant he strongly thought that "...[he] did not in the least want to shoot him. [He] decided that [he] would watch him [the elephant] for a little while to make sure that he did not turn savage again, and then go home" (Orwell 1256). Orwell knows that shooting the elephant is morally wrong, especially because it had seemed to calm down and get over its earlier aggression. He knows it would be wrong to kill the elephant when it is acting “innocent” and not on the path of destruction. When he says this, he is using autonomous obedience because he is doing what he believes is right to himself and no other. He obeys and commands himself when he makes his initial decision to ensure the elephant would not become “feral” again, and to let it continue his mostly peaceful life. After some time, however, Orwell realizes that he might have to kill the elephant. Orwell is overcome with pressure by the Burmese and fears that if he does not shoot the elephant ”it was quite probable that some of them would laugh'' (Orwell 1258) and after he shoots the elephant, Orwell "[wonders] whether any of the others