Psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism by Erich FrommMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
BOOK DESCRIPTION: The essential point of this book is Fromm's opinion that psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism subscribe to the same aim. For the author, 'The aim of Zen is enlightenment: the immediate, unreflected grasp of reality, without affective contamination and intellectualization, the realization of the relation of myself to the Universe.' For Fromm, this is precisely what psychoanalysis aims to do.
I'm not completely convinced of the 1:1 relationship between the two systems of thought and practice. However, I am not an expert in either field. The book is brief and does not include any in-depth discussion of critiques of the ideas Fromm presents. The language of the author is often unnecessarily complex making it difficult to read at times.
If you have some knowledge of psychoanalysis or Zen Buddhism, you will probably find this book of interest. It's probably not a good place to start before a basic introduction to each.
MY REVIEW: The essential point of this book is Fromm's opinion that psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism subscribe to the same aim. For the author, 'The aim of Zen is enlightenment: the immediate, unreflected grasp of reality, without affective contamination and intellectualization, the realization of the relation of myself to the Universe.' For Fromm, this is precisely what psychoanalysis aims to do.
I'm not completely convinced of the 1:1 relationship between the two systems of thought and practice. However, I am not an expert in either field. The book is brief and does not include any in-depth discussion of critiques of the ideas Fromm presents. The language of the author is often unnecessarily complex making it difficult to read at times.
If you have some knowledge of psychoanalysis or Zen Buddhism, you will probably find this book of interest. It's probably not a good place to start before a basic introduction to each.
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