2025.04.03

The Source of Hope for Living ~ Frankl's Psychology and Philosophy

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Viktor Emil Frankl (26 March 1905 – 2 September 1997) was one of the leading Austrian psychiatrists, psychologists and philosophers of the 20th century. His name is etched in history as a man who survived the harsh Holocaust and deeply explored the essence of human existence and the "meaning of life" through that experience. Frankl's work spanned psychology, philosophy, education, and even medicine, and his "logotherapy" continues to influence many people today. His life and writings suggest powerful answers to the universal question of how to find meaning and light hope in life in the midst of hardship.

Article Contents

Viktor Emil Frankl
- Frankl's life and background

Viktor Emil Frankl

Frankl's life and background

Frankl was born into a Jewish family in Vienna. From an early age, he had a keen interest in the inner world of man and spiritual exploration, and he studied medicine at the University of Vienna, before moving on to the fields of neurology and psychiatry. Through my studies at university, I was exposed to the theories of Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler, who were famous psychologists at the time, and I was greatly influenced by them. But he didn't just accept these theories, he had his own perspective and looked into deeper aspects of human existence.

As a young man, Frankl was particularly interested in the question of how one can find meaning in life in the midst of hardship. This question was not just an academic interest, it was an inner passion that would later become a core theme that would largely determine his own life. He was convinced that human beings are not merely driven by instincts and desires, but rather live in search of higher goals, values, and "meaning."

When Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, Frankl and his family faced a harsh fate as Jews. He could have had the opportunity to avoid deportation to a concentration camp, but it was an ethically unacceptable choice for him to escape on his own, leaving his elderly parents behind. In 1942, Frankl and his wife, Tilly, were sent to the Theresienstadt camp, where they moved from one concentration camp to another, including Auschwitz.

The camp experience was unimaginably harsh for Frankl. He was keenly aware of the difficulty of maintaining human dignity in the extreme conditions of hunger, cold, violence, and not knowing when he would die. At the same time, however, he discovered that even under these extreme circumstances, humans still have the freedom of choice. It was the freedom of how to react to the external environment and how to maintain one's inner attitude. This discovery led to the concept of "final freedom," which forms the basis of his thought.

While in the camp, Frankl sought to encourage his fellow prisoners and give them hope to live. Through his actions, he showed that no matter how hopeless the situation, people can find hope in the future and find meaning in the present moment, rather than looking back on the past. This experience is deeply engraved in his masterpiece, Night and Fog.

His main work, Night and Fog, and its universal message

After Frankl was released from the concentration camps, he published Night and Fog (Man's Search for Meaning), a collection of his experiences and insights. This book is not just a memoir of his experiences in the camps, but is also a work full of deep reflections on the ontological question of human beings, namely, "Why do people live?"

In Night and Fog, Frankl conveys his central message that human beings can find meaning even in hardship. Through his experience in the camps, he became convinced that human beings have the freedom to choose how they react to harsh conditions, and that freedom is a fundamental element of what makes them human.
He also laid out three paths for human beings to find meaning. First, the path of achieving something, that is, finding meaning through creative activity. Second, the path of loving something, that is, finding meaning through deep relationships with others. And thirdly, how to face the inevitable hardship, that is, to find meaning by forming one's own attitude in the midst of suffering.
Night and Fog has been widely read around the world and has deeply moved and inspired many people. This book has long been read as a work of universal value that gives hope and courage to live for people facing hardships and difficulties, and an opportunity to think deeply about the meaning of life.

Advocacy of logotherapy as existential psychology

Based on his own ideas and experiences, Frankl advocated logotherapy (semantic-centered therapy). Logotherapy is a unique form of psychotherapy that differs from conventional psychoanalysis and behavioral psychology in that it finds the motivation for human behavior not in the pursuit of pleasure or the desire for power, but in the will to meaning.

According to Frankl, the fundamental motivation of human beings is to find meaning in their lives, and he believed that the loss of meaning was the root cause of mental distress and disorders. Logotherapy helps patients find meaning in their lives and live based on that meaning.

Basic Concepts of Logotherapy

Freedom of will: Human beings have the power to freely choose their own attitudes and actions, rather than being completely controlled by their external environment or past experiences. This freedom cannot be lost, no matter how difficult the circumstances.
The will to meaning: Human beings have a fundamental desire to find meaning in their lives, not just to satisfy their instinctive desires. When this desire is not satisfied, humans feel mental anguish.
The uniqueness of life and the meaning of life are different for each person and are determined by the circumstances and experiences of each person. Therefore, it is important not to seek universal meaning, but to find meaning in one's own situation.
Logotherapy uses a variety of techniques to help patients find meaning in their lives. One of them is "paradoxical orientation". This is a way to overcome anxiety by intentionally confronting the object that the patient is afraid of. For example, a patient who is afraid of public speaking can be helped to overcome that fear by intentionally creating a public speaking situation.
Logotherapy emphasizes that patients look to the future and clarify their future goals and values, rather than looking back to the past. This approach leads to supporting a positive way of living without being dwelled on past traumas.

Differences from other schools of psychology: a comparison with Freud, Adler, and Jung

Frankl differs from other prominent psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, and Carl Jung, in their theoretical backgrounds and approaches.

Freud sought libido (sexual drive) as the root of human behavior, but Frankl found human motivation in a higher goal: the will to meaning. While Freud emphasized the past experiences of human beings, especially those of childhood, Frankl emphasized how to live for the future without being bound by the past.
Adler viewed human behavior from the perspective of liberation from inferiority complexes, while Frankl believed that human behavior is motivated by the pursuit of self-transcendent goals, that is, values and meanings beyond oneself. While Adler advocated individual psychology, Frankl emphasized not only the inner exploration of the individual, but also his relationship with society and others.
Jung proposed concepts such as the collective unconscious and self-realization, while Frankl emphasized that human beings find meaning not only from within themselves, but also from the external world. While Jung emphasized the inner exploration of the self, Frankl emphasized how human beings can contribute to society and others.
Frankl had his own point of view, while respecting the theories of these schools of psychology. He was convinced that human beings are not driven by mere instincts and desires, but rather live in search of higher goals, values, and "meaning." His logotherapy has influenced many people to this day as a psychotherapy with a unique perspective, different from these theories.

The modern significance of Frankl's thought

Modern society is highly information-oriented and globalized, but on the other hand, people are faced with the problems of loneliness, helplessness, and loss of meaning in life. While the development of technology has made people's lives more convenient, it has also caused problems such as the dilution of human relationships and the loss of the meaning of existence.

In this context, the concepts of "will to meaning" and "last freedom" proposed by Frankl are very important. His ideas give hope and courage to live for those who are facing difficult situations, and inspire them to think deeply about the meaning of life.

In education, Frankl's ideas help students discover their values and build their self-esteem. In corporate human resource development, Frankl's ideas are also used to motivate employees to find meaning in their work and contribute to the organization.
In the medical field, logotherapy is used as an effective treatment to give patients suffering from mental distress hope to live and support their mental recovery. Especially for patients at the end of life or those facing serious illnesses, Frankl's concept of "finding meaning in hardship" offers deep comfort and hope.

Summary

Viktor Emil Frankl gave us many suggestions about the meaning of life and the hope of living through his harsh life experiences and deep contemplation. His ideas transcend the ages and awaken the inner power of each of us, the "power to find meaning," and give us the courage to live positively in any situation.

His message still resonates in the hearts of many people and has not lost its luster. Frankl teaches us that life is a question, and we can decide for ourselves how we answer that question. His ideas will continue to guide and inspire many people in the future.

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