Abstract
Fromm-Reichmann’s insistence on the physical aspect of loneliness and on touch as its antidote connects her to a long tradition of humanistic biology. This reaction paper traces the history of that tradition from the early 20th century onward and situates her within it. Interpreting Fromm-Reichmann’s 1959 article as part of this tradition allows us to notice the assumptions she shares with its other members.
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