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.
Existentialism
A new philosophy had begun to sweep Western European thinking in the 19th and early 20th C called 'existentialism'. Existentialism was a radical departure from the philosophies that had proceeded it.
We could best explain this difference by saying that the preceding philosophies were all 'essentialist' in character. By 'essentialist' I mean that they had asked the question, 'What is the essence of reality?'.
The existentialists were more impressed by the fact that man has the freedom to ask such questions; that his 'existence precedes his essence'2. For them, human existence as individual, self-determining existence was paramount.
But what we do find in Frankl is his commitment to human existence as individual, self-determining, will-to-meaning. In these words in bold type we find the central themes of Frankl's psychotherapy.
The point about 'specific meaning' and 'particular situation' is important in the above sentences because Frankl was not trying to help patients to find the general meaning of their lives.
Hence, the therapist's job is to reorient the patient to this specific situation he is in right now and its particular meaning that confronts him now.
This meaning, Frankl claims, is not created by the individual for if it were it would not have the demand-character that the individual observes it to have. Who would give one's life for an instinctual-drive (as in Freud) or an 'archetype' (as in Carl Jung)?
Frankl mentions three ways of finding meaning: i) doing a deed (self-explanatory); ii) experiencing a value; iii) suffering (see point 3 below).
Under ii) we can experience a value in connection with something (such as culture or 'nature'), or with someone ('love', 'fidelity', 'companionship', 'conviviality', 'joy', 'forgiveness').
Frankl records an experience he had at the beginning of his incarceration on a march to work sites in freezing conditions. One of his companions said something to the effect that what would the wives think of these prisoners in their present, wretched state. Suddenly, the words brought to Frankl's mind his own wife. He clung to her image and he 'saw' her in the heavens looking down on him smiling.
What was revealed to him with undeniable force was that love is the paramount goal and value to which man can aspire; that the 'salvation of man is through love and in love' (p. 59, italics in original).
To be fair to Frankl -and Frankl was insistent about this dimension- he told his audiences and his readers that freedom had to be balanced by responsibility3.
Man is not driven by a moral value or by a religious value either. Man is rather pulled by such values; and that being so, man chooses either to accept or reject the demand placed before him.
Logotherapy acknowledges that some suffering can be remedied and should be. Other suffering is not easily ameliorated and that the response to that kind of suffering is learning to live with it by changing one's attitude to it. This way involves the learning of a new meaning to be found in the suffering.
One writer has suggested five meanings that Christians may explore for the meaning of their own sufferings. Suffering i) brings us nearer to Christ (Phil 3.10) because it enables us to experience some of what he experienced; ii) is part of being a follower of Christ (2 Tim 3.12); iii) is rewarded in the future (Rom 8.17-18; 2 Cor 4.17); iv) may be our enduring what was intended for Christ (Col 1.24b); v) can result in the salvation of others as has been shown many times in history. We might also add that chronic illness can be included under v), although the sufferer may not see the fulfilment of that.
In addition, some suffering may be to our eyes simply unreasonable and senseless. However, Frankl pointed to a 'supra-meaning' level of life which transcends the specific meaning individuals find in their lives. This world of ultimate meaning, although unknowable to man because of his finiteness, holds the answer to the suffering of humanity but not in a human logical response. I believe that Frankl introduces at this point some appeal to mysticism, a religious sphere, certainly a supra-temporal world.
Next time, we will look at some of Frankl's techniques and case studies.
1. See http://4booksmatter.blogspot.com.au/
2. An expression of Jean-Paul Sartre, a famous existentialist.
3. In fact, he upset an audience in the USA when he dared to suggest that a Stature of Responsibility should be erected on the West Coast of the country to correlate with the Stature of Liberty on the East Coast (p. 210).
We could best explain this difference by saying that the preceding philosophies were all 'essentialist' in character. By 'essentialist' I mean that they had asked the question, 'What is the essence of reality?'.
The existentialists were more impressed by the fact that man has the freedom to ask such questions; that his 'existence precedes his essence'2. For them, human existence as individual, self-determining existence was paramount.
Frankl's Existentialist Therapy
The existentialists were not a unified, monochrome group and Frankl's existentialism varies with others identified with existentialism.But what we do find in Frankl is his commitment to human existence as individual, self-determining, will-to-meaning. In these words in bold type we find the central themes of Frankl's psychotherapy.
1. Meaning
Frankl, somewhat in opposition to other existentialist thinkers (e.g., Sartre who said that existence was meaningless), believed that specific meaning 'emerges' from existence itself and 'confronts' existence. Hence, the meaning of this particular situation in which a client exists confronts him even as he neurotically strives to avoid it.The point about 'specific meaning' and 'particular situation' is important in the above sentences because Frankl was not trying to help patients to find the general meaning of their lives.
Hence, the therapist's job is to reorient the patient to this specific situation he is in right now and its particular meaning that confronts him now.
This meaning, Frankl claims, is not created by the individual for if it were it would not have the demand-character that the individual observes it to have. Who would give one's life for an instinctual-drive (as in Freud) or an 'archetype' (as in Carl Jung)?
Frankl mentions three ways of finding meaning: i) doing a deed (self-explanatory); ii) experiencing a value; iii) suffering (see point 3 below).
Under ii) we can experience a value in connection with something (such as culture or 'nature'), or with someone ('love', 'fidelity', 'companionship', 'conviviality', 'joy', 'forgiveness').
Frankl records an experience he had at the beginning of his incarceration on a march to work sites in freezing conditions. One of his companions said something to the effect that what would the wives think of these prisoners in their present, wretched state. Suddenly, the words brought to Frankl's mind his own wife. He clung to her image and he 'saw' her in the heavens looking down on him smiling.
What was revealed to him with undeniable force was that love is the paramount goal and value to which man can aspire; that the 'salvation of man is through love and in love' (p. 59, italics in original).
2. Will-to-Meaning
Frankl's therapy pivots on the potential of the self-determining will (p. 206, 212) of the client. He opines, man 'does not simply exist, but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment' (p. 207).To be fair to Frankl -and Frankl was insistent about this dimension- he told his audiences and his readers that freedom had to be balanced by responsibility3.
Man is not driven by a moral value or by a religious value either. Man is rather pulled by such values; and that being so, man chooses either to accept or reject the demand placed before him.
3. Suffering
No doubt Frankl's own experiences heightened his sense of suffering. Logotherapy sought to work at this suffering level too and Frankl regarded suffering as one way to find meaning in life (p. 176).Logotherapy acknowledges that some suffering can be remedied and should be. Other suffering is not easily ameliorated and that the response to that kind of suffering is learning to live with it by changing one's attitude to it. This way involves the learning of a new meaning to be found in the suffering.
One writer has suggested five meanings that Christians may explore for the meaning of their own sufferings. Suffering i) brings us nearer to Christ (Phil 3.10) because it enables us to experience some of what he experienced; ii) is part of being a follower of Christ (2 Tim 3.12); iii) is rewarded in the future (Rom 8.17-18; 2 Cor 4.17); iv) may be our enduring what was intended for Christ (Col 1.24b); v) can result in the salvation of others as has been shown many times in history. We might also add that chronic illness can be included under v), although the sufferer may not see the fulfilment of that.
In addition, some suffering may be to our eyes simply unreasonable and senseless. However, Frankl pointed to a 'supra-meaning' level of life which transcends the specific meaning individuals find in their lives. This world of ultimate meaning, although unknowable to man because of his finiteness, holds the answer to the suffering of humanity but not in a human logical response. I believe that Frankl introduces at this point some appeal to mysticism, a religious sphere, certainly a supra-temporal world.
Next time, we will look at some of Frankl's techniques and case studies.
1. See http://4booksmatter.blogspot.com.au/
2. An expression of Jean-Paul Sartre, a famous existentialist.
3. In fact, he upset an audience in the USA when he dared to suggest that a Stature of Responsibility should be erected on the West Coast of the country to correlate with the Stature of Liberty on the East Coast (p. 210).
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