Do we really want freedom - or are we intrisically afraid of it? In this brilliant account, Erich Fromm asks the fundamental question - is the fear of freedom at the root of twentieth century's predilection for one or other kind of totalitarianism? The rise of democracy, while setting us free also created a society where we feel isolated from our fellows, where relationships are impersonal and where insecurity replaces a sense of belonging. This sense of isolation drives a man to a devotion and submission to all-powerful organization from the state. The work, which is both psychoanalytical and historical, is a fundamental interpretation of our age and its problems.