Man for Himself An Inquiry Into the Psychology of Ethics

"Problems of ethics cannot be omitted from the study of personality...The value judgments we make determine our actions, and upon their validity rests our mental health and happiness." So writes Erich Fromm in this illuminating work on the function of ethics and morality in the human psyche. In "Man for Himself, " Dr. Fromm examines the confusion of modern man - who, because he lacks faith in any principle by which life ought to be guided, becomes the helpless prey of forces within and without himself. From the broad, interdisciplinary perspective that marks Dr. Fromm's distinguished oeuvre, he shows that psychology cannot divorce itself from the problems of philosophy and ethics - and that man's nature cannot be understood without understanding his values and moral conflicts. He demonstrates that an ethical system can be based on the nature of man rather than on revelations or traditions. As Dr. Fromm asserts, "If man is to have confidence in values, he must know himself and the capacity of his nature for goodness and productiveness."