The German writer Erich Fromm was one of the most influential social philosophers of the twentieth century. In works like Escape From Freedom and The Sane Society, Fromm drew on the work of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud to develop an innovative form of radical theory. Fromm’s work offers powerful insights into the nature of authoritarian nationalism and the subjective challenges of building an alternative to capitalism.

Kieran Durkin is the author of The Radical Humanism of Erich Fromm. He spoke to Jacobin about Fromm’s life and work, and about his relationship with other leading members of the Frankfurt School such as Max Horkheimer and Herbert Marcuse.

This is a transcript from an episode of Jacobin Radio’s Long Reads podcast. You can listen to the episode here.