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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the consequences for democratic societies when conformity exists?

2. What political ideology is a historical example of authoritarian mechanism?

3. Who wrote the book "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism"?

4. What does the development of individual and social characters lead to?

5. What forces in a capitalistic society isolate people?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Nazism so appealing to the lower middle class of Germans?

2. What role does character play in the individual and society?

3. How does Fromm describe masochistic people?

4. How does the loss of identify affect an individual's willingness to conform, and what are the consequences for it?

5. How is an individual's character structure affected by economic and political changes?

6. What two false theories does Fromm discount that accounted for the rise of Nazism?

7. What two choices does a person have when confronted by isolation and fear in achieving freedom?

8. What is the relationship between sadism and masochism? How does the relationship affect authoritarian characters?

9. What is true freedom and what do Fromm's critics fear it can lead to?

10. What traits of an authoritarian character did Hitler possess?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the social, economic, and individual lessons learned from Nazism. In your response, include the following information:

1). How did Nazism affect the entire social structure of Germany?

2). Examine how Hitler used social class to spread his sadomasochistic message of dominance.

3). What economic factors affected Nazism?

4). How did the individual lose himself and his freedom when the Nazi party came to power?

Essay Topic 2

Why does Fromm use Nazism to discuss authoritarianism and automaton conformity? How does the ideology of Nazism connect with Fromm's ideas on individuality and freedom? What other authoritarian political ideology possesses similar authoritarian and conformity tendencies?

Essay Topic 3

Describe in great detail Fromm's three "Mechanisms of Escape." Your essay should be divided into three sections:

1). Describe authoritarianism, the authoritarian character, why people submit to authoritarian leaders, and examples from history.

2). Explain Fromm's definition of destructiveness, what causes it, consequences for it, and historical examples.

3). Evaluate the effects of automaton conformity on society and the individual man.

(see the answer keys)

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