Viktor Frankl
(1905 – 1997)
Viktor Frankl was born
into a Jewish family. He studied medicine in college and grew very fond of
Psychology. As he got older he trained as an analyst prior to World War II.
As the war progressed Frankl was transported along with his family to a
concentration camp where he was an inmate through World War II. While a
prisoner Frankl saw something within man that truly inspired him. This
revelation was a desire to live.
During this time,
Frankl’s entire family passed away through various brutal acts. After regaining
his freedom, Frankl could have done many things, including giving up. Frankl
chose a more positive and productive route. He wrote a book entitled, Man's
Search for Meaning. This book described his horrendous experiences
throughout his time in a concentration camp, and his remarkable revelation of
man’s desire to live. Frankl declared that the meaning of life is found in each
and every moment. He believed a person’s life is never without meaning, even if
pain and suffering was involved.
“During and partly
because of his suffering in concentration camps, Frankl developed a
revolutionary approach to psychotherapy known as logotherapy (Scully, 1997).”
His incredible contributions to existential theory were awe inspiring. As
Hitler rose in power and World War II breathed down his neck, Frankl was
on Journey that would lead him to play a huge role in Existentialism. It is
from these experiences that Frankl found his way to being a key figure within
the Existential circle.
“At the core of
his theory is the belief that humanity's primary motivational force is the
search for meaning, and the work of the logotherapist centers on helping the
patient find personal meaning in life, however dismal the circumstances may be
(Scully, 1997).”
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