The essay, ‘A Sane Society,’ by Eric Fromm is taken from the writer’s book, The Sane Society. The author analyses the crises confronted by the modern society. In such a society art is separated from life. The author comments that such a society is insane.
For him, no sane or healthy society can be built upon the mixture of purely intellectual knowledge and almost complete absence of shared artistic experience. A sane society can be built up when there is creation of both the collective art and ritual without religious touch to them. Opportunities are to be created for the people to sing together, to walk together, dance together, admire together in order to create a healthy society.
The author envisages that collective art will begin with the children’s games in kindergarten and continue in later life. The people of a society should have common dances, choirs, plays, music, bands and so on without replacing modern sport. But subordinating it to the role of one of the many non-profit and non-purpose activities.
Various forms of common artistic activities can be created in the factory in the school, in the small political discussion groups and in the village. They can be stimulated and developed by the help and suggestion from central artistic bodies but not fed by them. Small artistic groups can get a wide exposure through radio and television. Artistic developments should not be left to commercial benefits. They must be ranked with educational facilities which do not make a profit for any body. Thus, art must be treated as a food for a sane society.