Erich Seligmann Fromm was a German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist. Born on March 23, 1900, in Frankfurt am Main, within the German Empire, Fromm was a German Jew who fled the Nazi regime and eventually settled in the United States.

He played a pivotal role as one of the founders of The William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis and Psychology in New York City and was associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory. Fromm explored the dynamic interaction between psychology and society, holding various esteemed professorships in psychology across the U.S. and Mexico during the mid-20th century.

His theoretical approach represented a unique fusion of Freud and Marx, emphasizing both unconscious biological drives and social elements. Fromm's significant break with the Frankfurt School in the late 1940s was due to his unorthodox interpretation of Freudian theory, which sought to synthesize psychoanalysis and Marxism into a singular discipline known as "freudomarxismo."

Erich Fromm passed away on March 18, 1980, leaving behind a legacy as a major innovator in psychoanalytic theory and practice.