Recently, on the blog From My Bookshelf I discussed1 Viktor Frankl's Man's Search For Meaning. In this post, I want to examine the philosophy that under-girded the psychotherapeutic approach that he inaugurated.
Frankl describes his therapy approach as 'less retrospective' and 'less introspective' (p. 152, 'Pocket Book' edition) than Sigmund Freud; which is to say, Frankl was not so interested in the past life of the patient nor in the patient's inner dynamics as Freud certainly was.
General Comments
Frankl describes his therapy approach as 'less retrospective' and 'less introspective' (p. 152, 'Pocket Book' edition) than Sigmund Freud; which is to say, Frankl was not so interested in the past life of the patient nor in the patient's inner dynamics as Freud certainly was.
In Freud's world, man is determined by his past and it is now played out in his inner conflicts. For Frankl, man is not determined at all unless he chooses to relinquish his ability to choose.
Hence, Frankl and Freud come from two diametrically opposed philosophical traditions. Freud from a physical science orientation where things can be reduced to physics and hydraulics. Frankl however, resisted this orientation believing it to be profoundly 'reductionistic' of the being of humanity.
However, it would be unwise of us to assume that Frankl, therefore, has the correct orientation. Although he has accurately seen the reductionism found in Freud's thinking we will find that he has not escaped the same problem within his own opposing worldview.
However, it would be unwise of us to assume that Frankl, therefore, has the correct orientation. Although he has accurately seen the reductionism found in Freud's thinking we will find that he has not escaped the same problem within his own opposing worldview.
