Erich Seligmann Fromm (1900-1980) was a German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, and humanistic philosopher whose work on love and human existence continues to influence psychology, philosophy, and social theory. Born in Frankfurt, Germany on March 23rd, 1900, to Orthodox Jewish parents, Fromm developed an early interest in Talmudic studies and was deeply influenced by his religious background. Though he later moved away from orthodox religious practice in 1926, the religious and ethical foundations of his early education remained evident throughout his intellectual development.

Fromm attended the University of Frankfurt, where he initially studied law before shifting to sociology at the University of Heidelberg. There, he studied under notable scholars including Alfred Weber (brother of sociologist Max Weber), psychiatrist-philosopher Karl Jaspers, and Heinrich Rickert. After receiving his PhD in sociology from Heidelberg in 1922, Fromm continued his education in psychology and psychiatry at the University of Munich and underwent psychoanalytic training at the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute, completing his training in 1930.

His professional career began in earnest when he established his own clinical practice in 1927. In 1930, he joined the Frankfurt Institute for Social Research, becoming associated with what would later be known as the “Frankfurt School” of critical theory.