Report from the Conference in Magliaso Rainer Funk

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Report from the Conference in Magliaso

Rainer Funk

“Report from the Conference in Magliaso,” in: Fromm Forum (English Edition - ISBN 1437-1189) 10 / 2006, Tuebingen (Selbstverlag) 2006, pp. 73-78.

Brilliant sunshine, glorious fall weather, the lush ist in a social environment without a television vegetation still in full bloom, houses painted in or a telephone in his or her room at the Centro such an intense shade of red that they seem to Evangelico Magliaso? The most important tech- be competing with the scarlet leaves of the su- nical means of assistance can't simply be with- mac; through the trees a breathtaking view of held. Or can they? Or is it conceivable that life Lake Lugano, reflecting the sun; the first confer- in a social context is only possible then? ence participants have already discovered the While often necessary, technical aids or conference center's rowboats. Early the next means of assistance are generally only called for morning—though late October—two of the 140 when we are unable to do or create something conference guests go for a swim in the lake. on the basis of our human ability alone. This „Productive Orientation and Mental Health“: begins with language. The conference partici- given the benevolence of nature and the climate pants speak either Italian or German or English, the topic of the conference in honor of the and need translations of each of the other lan- twentieth anniversary of the International Erich guages. Translations of the lectures and shorter Fromm Society in Magliaso, Switzerland does papers have been prepared in advance, and not appear to be utopian at all. copies are available with the conference materi- What is productive orientation? Productive als. orientation means the practice, the practical ap- Language is less of a barrier when it comes plication or utilization of one's own thought, to personal encounters. A number of the par- feelings, and action, as Rainer Funk describes on ticipants have met before at earlier conferences, the first evening in his introduction to the con- others, for example, Johannes Neumann, Armin ference theme. A productive person is someone Bader, József Koch, Ute Wiest, Otto Lüdemann, who senses something inherent in himself or and Peter Wriedt are former members of the herself and generates something out of himself Executive or the Advisory Boards, and have or herself, who experiences himself or herself as come not only to attend an international con- alive, who consciously perceives his or her feel- ference focusing on a central aspect of Fromm's ings, who senses an interest and a need to exist thought but also to celebrate the anniversary in relatedness to the world and to other human with an evening of festivities. With much good- beings. Who not only has eyes in order to see naturedness, the appropriate facial expressions, and an olfactory sense in order to smell but also ample gestures, and body language, as well as a a soul in order to feel, who is endowed with a smattering of English the participants manage to phantasy to activate his or her powers of imagi- articulate their questions and discuss the contri- nation, who has the self-awareness to reflect on butions in the discussion sections following the himself or herself and on the purpose of his or lectures. her existence. But how can a conferencegoer ex- Apropos goodwill: anyone who is familiar

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with conference centers and their current ration- area. In a complex and penetrating lecture alization policies is pleasantly surprised how ac- Romano Biancoli, the founder of the psy- comodating, efficient, engaged, and interested cholanalytic training institute in Bologna, offers the staff members of this facility run by the Prot- insight into his application of productive orien- estant Church of the Canton of Zurich are, tation in the therapeutic relationship. Biancoli greatly contributing to the success of the confer- sees the uniqueness of Fromm's clinical approach ence. Apparently they can even anticipate the toward patients in the mutual concentration on wishes of their guests, and do everything in their the here-and-now of the patient, which he also power to fulfill these. What matters here is not follows in practice. Not the reconstruction of economic but human productivity, which actu- the there-and-then of the patient and his or her ally desires the guests' well-being—whether in relationships at the time but the here-and-now the kitchen, at the reception desk, in the desper- of his or her feelings, suffering, action, and self- ate attempts to start the multimedia projector experience in the being mode enable the pro- and the speaker system or in the rearrangement ductive inner powers to become effective and to of the dining room—flooded with light and restore mental health. overlooking the lake—for the evening festivities. Sandra Buechler, a psychoanalyst from New Sergio Caruso, professor of political science York City, situates her lecture on the productive at the University of Florence and a practicing orientation of the therapist in a different theo- psychoanalyst, greets the conference speakers retical framework yet comes to a similar conclu- and guests as President of the nine Italian insti- sion. Singling out several specific values that in- tutes of psychoanalysis (OPIFER) which have form the professional therapeutic stance, which coorganized the conference. The first evening she also discovers in Fromm's works, Buechler il- focuses on Erich Fromm's biography. Lawrence lustrates that therapeutic abstinence and neutral- Friedman, a professor of history in Blooming- ity cannot mean disallowing values such as the ton, Indiana, U.S.A., chronicles his attempts to search for truth, courage, freedom, or love for research and write the first comprehensive life in the therapeutic relationship. The decisive Fromm biography. This project is inordinately question is, naturally, how such a therapeutic difficult due to the extremely limited scope of work ethic is carried out. Through her lecture it the extant correspondence. Other sources— becomes exceedingly clear that it is her own interviews with Fromm's friends, relatives, and productive orientation that manifests itself in— associates who are still alive, numerous photo- to use Biancoli's words—her total concentration graphs, and, above all, Fromm's political writ- on the here-and-now of the patient, and in her ings—can, however, with the appropriate inter- decision not to place techniques or ethical ex- pretation, offer considerable insight into his per- pertise between herself and the patient. sonality, since, in Fromm's case—a rarety among Both lectures communicate what Otto renowned scholars—life, teaching, and thought Lüdemann and Jürgen Kalcher from the Ham- constituted a unity. This, too, is indicative of burg School of Social Work make visible in their Erich Fromm's own productive orientation. presentation on their work with masks and what Precisely this is the emphasis of the paper by finds unsurpassable artistic expression in the im- Gérard Khoury, written on the basis of his per- provisations by the Scuola des Teatro Dimitri sonal encounters with Fromm in Mexico. Al- from Verscio (near Locarno). Is the other, often though a severe cold and fever unfortunately unconscious side of the individual personality to have prevented the Lebanese-born scholar from emerge through the creation of handmade Aix-en-Provence from attending the conference, masks, in order to directly access one's self and his lecture is available in printed form. others, the actress and actor from the Scuola des The thematic focus of the conference— Teatro Dimitri, Sarah Lersch and Giuseppe Spina, “Productive Orientation and Mental Health“—is under the direction of Jean-Martin Moncéro, at- to be developed in four major papers concen- tempt to artistically express inner perceptions trating on two specific areas: the clinical- through facial expressions, gestures, and motion therapeutic area and the sociopsychological in such a way that no thought, let alone a tech-

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nique, can intervene. Here productiveness is the tion respectively a mental illness to develop. equivalent of „leading out“ („pro-ducere“) or Enzo Lio, the cofounder of the Istituto Erich „presenting“ what spontaneously and randomly Fromm in Bologna, chooses to discuss Fromm's arises in the performing artists at this moment. concept of alienation in his reflections on pro- „Oh—an experience!“ ductiveness and mental health, illustrating that Artistic productivity can also be encoun- the „pathology of normalcy,“ which not only tered on the well-attended excursion to Mon- affects patients but therapists as well, clearly in- tagnola on Sunday afternoon, led by Renate fluences the therapeutic relationship and must Oetker-Funk. How arduous, crisis-ridden, and be recognized if a therapy is to be successful. painful the development of artistic productivity Several of the other speakers go beyond the can be in a writer to make history is readily scope of therapeutic work with patients in sensed in the small Hermann Hesse Museum shorter presentations. Burkhard Bierhoff, a Pro- there. The documents and memorabilia from fessor of Education and an educational theorist different periods in Hesse's life have been in Cottbus, is unable to attend the conference; thoughtfully assembled in the exhibit, calling to his reflections on consumer behavior today, one mind the numerous affinities between the of his long-term research interests, are all the Swabian writer and Fromm. more worthy of consideration. Bierhoff raises However vividly productivity can be de- the question to what degree consumption is de- picted through artistic creativity—in therapeutic structive as well as detrimental to mental health, work it is also possible to illustrate the turn to yet also indicates that there is a productive kind productivity and mental health. In a fascinating of consumption in the being mode of existence, case study Manuela Salmi, the new director of in which a „voluntary simplicity“ leads to a clinical training at the Fromm Institute in Bolo- „prudent and, at the same time, ecological and gna, impressively demonstrates how the libera- sustainable way of life.“ József Koch, from the tion from the dictates of a „correct“ therapeutic University of Pécs in Hungary, also contemplates „technique“ can lead to a productive develop- the question of the concrete ways of dealing ment in a patient. Harold Davis of New York with matters in everyday life. The political up- City discusses the problem of determining under heaval in Hungary has confronted his students what circumstances a therapeutic „technique“ with the temptations of a market-oriented can be useful at all. Davis, a former President of economy and the resultant personality changes. the International Federation for Psychoanalytic In this context he observes to what degree Education for many years, maintains that every- Fromm's humanistic thought has an effect which thing depends on whether the therapeutic could reinforce a productive orientation. „technique“ promotes or impedes human de- Sergio Caruso takes up another very differ- velopment and thus orients itself on a humanis- ent aspect, providing a transition to the so- tic ethics. ciopsychological application of the concepts of Armin Bader, a therapist in Bochum, began productivity and mental health. Proceeding to study Fromm's concept of productive orienta- from the position—also held by Fromm—that tion more than twenty years ago in his doctoral culture exerts a vast influence on the psychic dissertation. In Magliaso he presents a case study structure of the human being, Caruso pursues of a patient from a psychosomatic clinic, show- the question how the alter has been seen ing how a highly successful woman lawyer was throughout history and how it is manifest as an able to reattain intellectual productivity and inner structure in the human being. Caruso mental health only after having allowed herself maintains the existence of a transition from ego to go through a long-resisted process of grieving. to self in an internalized alter, positing a link to In the therapeutic process it is not always a mat- Fromm's concept of the social character orienta- ter of repelling or resisting feelings of loss. There tion. are other, completely different possibilities of In the Frommian understanding productive being alienated from one's own individual hu- orientation and mental health are not only indi- man ability, allowing a nonproductive orienta- vidual entities but, to the extent that every hu-

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man being is always a social being, social entities for the international reception of Erich Fromm's as well. This is why social change is also always thought. And the celebration also opens with a reflected in personality changes respectively in first: the conferral of honorary membership on changes in the social character orientation. This three individuals who have played pivotal roles sociopsychological dimension of productiveness in the founding and development of the Erich and mental health is explored in depth by Rai- Fromm Society: Johannes Neumann from ner Funk and Gerd Meyer in their lectures, Oberkirch, Germany, Marco Bacciagaluppi from which demand great attentiveness. Their focus is Milan, Italy, and Jorge Silva from Tlalpan, Mex- what causes an increasing percentage of the ico. In a spontaneous and unofficial act, Ute Wi- population today to similarly think, feel, and act est, Martha Pelster, and Peter Richter present in a certain way. Central to their considerations Rainer Funk and Renate Oetker-Funk with flow- are those persons who have adopted a post- ers and wine as a token of appreciation for the modern lifestyle, that is, a lifestyle entailing the hospitality which the Fromm Society enjoys in impassioned attempt to construct and stage new their home at Ursrainer Ring 24 in Tübingen. and different, above all „I-am-me“ oriented re- The sumptuous buffet beckons, then the raf- alities. While Rainer Funk chiefly assesses the po- fle with 500 prizes (!), meticulously organized tential for alienation inherent in this way of liv- by Regine Bonfert of Stuttgart during weeks of ing and contemplates what constitutes the pa- preparation, the proceeds of which are desig- thology of normalcy for the „I-am-me“ oriented nated for the work of the Erich Fromm Society. postmodern person, when „human“ ability is in- Fine wines, handmade bookmarks, photographs, creasingly replaced by „made“ or „fabricated“ cards with texts by Erich Fromm, and scores of ability, Gerd Meyer attempts to fathom the Ritter Sport candy bars are among the items to chances for a productive orientation and reports be raffled. the fiindings of an empirical study on the post- Following the culinary delights of the buffet modern „I-am-me“ orientation. dinner, Georg Osterfeld and Susan Garton serve Productive orientation is by no means an as master and mistress of ceremonies for the rest exclusively intellectual pursuit at the conference. of the evening, abounding with creative mo- The beautiful natural surroundings and the tem- ments. Felix Wicki accompanies silent films fea- perate climate of Ticino, the warm and suppor- turing Laurel and Hardy with masterly piano tive atmosphere at the conference center and improvisations. Barbara Nespethal delights among the conference participants, the contribu- acoustically with three pieces for the recorder tions from the realm of artistic creativity, the from three musical periods: the medieval, the case studies from therapeutic practice—all of Renaissance, and the modern. Late in the eve- these allow productive orientation to be in- ning Armin Wallrapp and his harmonica are the tensely experienced as well. And since human center of attention. Georg Osterfeld is unforget- productivity has a great deal to do with a love table with his rhymed and witty words of wis- for life, joint celebration, and creative participa- dom. Kathrin Krüger-Mlaouhia attempts to in- tion, the festivities marking the twentieth anni- crease Friedrich Schiller's popularity among Ital- versary of the International Erich Fromm Society ians, Mexicans, Americans, Scandinavians, the continue far into the night. Russian philosopher Omelchenko, and (non- The paramount event is a retrospective Saxon) Germans through transpositions of his view of the past twenty years. A PowerPoint texts into Saxon, while Jürgen Kalcher and Otto presentation prepared by Rainer Funk depicts Lüdemann dramatize the struggles of two Ger- highlights at conferences and meetings, including mans from Hamburg with the „pathology of a number of conferences organized by the Inter- normalcy.“ And since the productive sometimes national Federation of Psychoanalytic Societies takes the form of the totally unexpected or sud- (IFPS). The Secretary General of the IFPS, Sonja denly conjured, Günter Pohl captivates with Gojman de Millán from Mexico City, is present magic tricks at a late hour. and, in her welcoming speech, emphasizes the And what does Erich Fromm say? „Produc- extraordinary significance of the Fromm Society tiveness is man's ability to use his powers and to

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realize the potentialities inherent in him.“ And, one's own efforts at productive orientation, to to echo Hermann Hesse, at the end of the con- say: „Every beginning has its own special ference and with the best intentions of renewing magic...“

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