This document discusses Viktor Frankl's philosophical theory on man's search for meaning, known as logotherapy. Some key points: - Frankl's theory focuses on finding meaning and purpose in life rather than pleasure or self-gratification. He saw humans as spiritual beings seeking meaning. - Logotherapy involves helping people discover meanings and purposes that can lead to happiness through techniques like existential analysis and counseling. - Frankl saw an "existential vacuum" as a spiritual problem caused by a lack of meaning, rather than psychological issues. His approach was to help people reconstruct their worldviews. - Frankl advocated a Socratic approach of "education" focused on values, responsibility, and

1. VIKTOR FRANKL’S
PHILOSOPHICAL THEORY ON
MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING
Timo Purjo, PhD, Diplomate in Logotherapy
Fourth Nordic Conference on Philosophical Practice:
”MEANINGFUL LIFE”
25.-27.4.2014
Helsinki, Finland

3. Viktor Frankl’s meaning-centered theory
Meaning-centered = meaning-focused (cf. solution-
focused) = meaning-oriented
Why meaning-centered?
Meaning-centered vs. Self-centered

4. Viktor Frankl’s meaning-centered theory
Viktor Frankl’s philosophical theory as the basis for:
• Logotherapy and Existential Analysis (LTEA)
• Existential Analysis  Logotherapy
• Existential Analysis = analysis of a person’s existence =
phenomenological analysis of factors causing qualitative
problems in a person’s existence
What causes suffering in a person’s life?
• Logotherapy = a) clinical application of logotherapeutic
techniques, or, b) counseling based on logotherapeutic
principles and conceptual framework of logotheory
What kind of meanings and purposes can be discovered that
cause happiness, a comprehensive experience of good life?

5. ”Happiness must happen” Viktor Frankl

6. What is ment by meaning in Frankl’s theory?
• German Sinn = meaning, or rather: meaning and purpose
The question of meaning also includes a consideration of,
and relation to, universal values (e.g. goodness, beauty,
and truth)
“What makes a person’s life meaningful or purposeful?”
always intertwined with: “What is valuable in life?”
• The purposefulness of a deed is not determined by one’s
own experience of meaningfulness but rather by its
meaningfulness to others
• The purposefulness of a deed is not determined by our own
valuations or by its value only to us ourselves, but by its
value to others

7. What is meant by spiritual in Frankl’s theory?
• German Geist, geistig = spirit, spiritual
• Geistig vs. geistlich: spiritual in its devotional, religious
signification
NOT meant by Frankl when talking about human spiritual
capabilities

8. Essential assumptions of Frankl’s
logophilosophy1
1. Humans are spiritual beings
2. Humans are beings in search of meaning
3. Humans are responsible beings, able to respond to the
demands of life
4. Humans are beings open to Socratic kind of education
 Human beings are able to activate their best potentials,
overcome their limitations, and choose meaningful actions or,
where this is not possible, choose meaningful attitudes
 Human beings have a basic need to search for meaning; not to
strive for power (Alfred Adler), pleasure and immediate
gratification (Sigmund Freud), and material wealth and prestige
1 Fabry, J. 1997. Logophilosophy in the Third Millenium. The International Forum for Logotherapy 20, 68-76.

9. Essential assumptions of Frankl’s
logophilosophy
• One of the principal insights of logophilosophy is that the goal
of a fulfilled life is not power and pleasure but meaning
• A new ethic is emerging, emphasizing such values as
openness in personal relationships, hospitality, cooperation,
tolerance, involvement, creativity, experimentation,
spontaneity, participation, self-esteem, self-determination,
self-transcendence*), awareness of one’s feelings and
honesty in expressing them, consciousness, and most of all
self-responsibility in searching for a meaningful life
• Of all the new values, acceptance of self-responsibility is the
most challenging
*)it means, that the human reality is always pointing to something beyond
itself – to something or someone

10. Essential assumptions of Frankl’s
logophilosophy
• Gaining of freedom has been the dream of humankind. This
has been achieved by at least a sizeable part of the world. But
as Frankl has warned, freedom and irresponsibility does not
bring meaning but chaos. To learn how to use our newly-won
freedom responsibly is perhaps the greatest challenge for
humans in the third millennium.
• The suffering masses of the poor, homeless, and starving are
growing. In different ways the rich
suffer – from boredom, emptiness,
and frustration. They hunger not
food but for meanings. They have
plenty to live on, but don’t know
what to live for.

11. • When Frankl developed LTEA in the late 1920's and the
1930’s, it was designed for patients who suffered from an
existential vacuum
• It that had not been considered in psychotherapy as it is a
noogenic (of spiritual origin) problem, NOT a psychogenic (of
psychological origin) or pathogenic (illness producing)
problem
• Frankl wrote already in 19252 that the approach to the
problematic should be philosophical as the main task was to
reconstruct the person’s worldview, “philosophical system” or
“conception of life”
Issues of ethics; meanings, values, and purposes;
fulfillment; belief systems; other issues requiring
philosophical interpretation
LTEA and the problematic of an existential
vacuum
2 Frankl, V. E. 1925. Psychotherapie und Weltanschauung. Internationale Zeitschrift für Individualpsychologie III, 250-252.

12. How to help persons suffering from
existential vacuum and its consequences?
• Frankl’s ”prescription for cure”: education = character
(personality) education, value education, and education to
responsibility
• Frankl’s ideas of education go back to Socrates, who believed
that, deep within, we know what is good, true and beautiful
E-ducere: to draw out; "maieutics", to act as a "spiritual
midwife"
• Frankl called this kind of prevention of existential frustration
or noogenic neurosis (illness) as existential analysis3
Accepting one’s responsibleness, refinding one’s will to
meaning
• It may also be continued as logotheoretic counselling
Finding concrete and personal meanings
3 Frankl, V. E. 2002. Grundriss der Existenzanalyse und Logotherapie [1959]. In: Logotherapie und Existenzanalyse. Weinheim: Beltz, 121-122.

13. • Not as simple as that
Prerequisite of successful logotheoretic / logophilosophical
counselling is good knowledge of all the spiritual abilities
named and defined by Frankl
Next weekend course at Kriittinen korkeakoulu
10.-11.5.2014
Weekend course also in Hämeenlinna 24.-25.5.2014
How to help persons suffering from
existential vacuum and its consequences?

14. Viktor Frankl, the forerunner
of Philosophical Practice4
• In 1981, the German philosopher Gerd B. Achenbach opened
the very first modern Philosophical Practice and began to
practice philosophical counselling
• Achenbach’s Philosophical Practice was a new starting point
and simultaneously a revival of the old tradition of practicing
philosophy. In fact, ancient philosophy was primarily a very
practical enterprise and a way of life. Many modern
Philosophical Practitioners are influenced by ancient
philosophers, humanistic psychotherapies and especially
logophilosophy. E.g. Lou Marinoff, President of APPA, gives
credit to Frankl.
• There is a strong similarity between the spiritual exercises of
the ancient philosophers (rediscovered by Paul Rabbow and
Pierre Hadot) and Frankl’s methods
3 Zaiser, R. 2006. Viktor E. Frankl as a Pioneer of the Modern Philosophical Practice. The International Forum for Logotherapy 29, 69-72.