Capital logic, consumption, and anxiety: Rereading fromm in contemporary psychology

This paper revisits Erich Fromm’s theory of social psychoanalysis to exam- ine the persistence of psychological distress in contemporary societies shaped by capital logic and consumer culture. There is a fundamental difference between Fromm’s theory of "social embedding" and Freud’s paradigm of fo- cusing on individuals, which shows that a full understanding of spiritual life must be placed in a broader historical and cultural context. Freud’s psy- choanalysis highlights the individual’s inner conflicts, yet Fromm reminds us that such struggles are never merely privatethey are conditioned by broader social structures. This study traces three interconnected concerns: the ex- perience of alienation, the formation of social character, and the pursuit of a productive orientation. It argues that contemporary anxieties, burnout, and forms of emotional detachment cannot be reduced to individual weakness but must be understood as outcomes of alienated social arrangements. Drawing on cultural resources such as Confucian benevolence, Daoist naturalness, and Buddhist mindfulness, the paper suggests these traditions remain rele- vant counterforces, offering ethical foundations for a more human-centered psychology. Building on Fromm’s legacy, we propose a threefold path that integrates structural reform, cultural renewal, and individual responsibility, aiming to reorient critical psychology toward the collective well-being.