Čovjek za sebe: Istraživanje o psihologiji etike

Published in 1947 as a sequel to Escape from Freedom, the work Man for Himself stands as one of Fromm’s most significant contributions to the fields of philosophical psychology and ethics. Its fundamental premise is that human beings can only be understood if we grasp their inner contradictions and the conditions of their existence.

Fromm draws a sharp distinction between authoritarian and humanistic ethics:

• Authoritarian ethics posits an external authority (such as the state, religion, or a leader) as the source of moral values; obedience is the highest virtue, while disobedience is a sin.

• Humanistic ethics locates authority and the source of moral law within the individual. It promotes the well-being of the individual and their full development, as ethical norms are rooted in human nature itself.

A central concept of the book is the "productive character"—an optimal form of human development in which a person utilizes their creative potential in love, work, and thought. Conversely, Fromm describes non-productive orientations (such as the marketing, hoarding, or exploitative orientations) that lead to alienation and a loss of a sense of purpose in modern consumer society.

The book offers profound insight into how individuals can become an end in themselves—rather than a means to serve the interests of others—and how to achieve true freedom grounded in self-respect and moral maturity.