Viktor Frankl (Prof. of Neurology and Psychiatry in the University of Vienna, was born in Vienna on March 23, 1905 and died in Vienna on September 2, 1997) is considered to be the founder of the Third Viennese School of Psychology and as the father of Logotherapy. He developed his approach before the Second World War, and was one of the few theory developers who applied their theory to themselves while imprisoned in concentration camps (Auschwitz and others) where the members of his family were exterminated.
Being the very few of the survivors of concentration camps, Frankl sheds light human response to unjust suffering through the character development of Job. Job, being the victim of unjust pain and misery begins to question the integrity of God. He is on the verge of losing his faith in God when he evaluates his painful experiences. Habel clearly unfolds the dilemma in which Job is when he gives emphasis on the meaning of his current life. “ The crisis of Job is not only the problem of unjustified suffering but also the question of the meaning of the life when there is no future, no justice, no relief, and no purpose that he can discern. As the story progresses, Job achieves his self- transcendence through his search of meaning, and gives up his thought of cursing the God. Logotherapy, which give emphasis on the meaning of human existence as well as on man’s search for this meaning, forms the core of this article.
Logotherapy is a form of existentialist analysis created by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl in the mid 1930s. It centers around the belief that the search for meaning is the single driving force in a person's life, and assumes that each individual person has the resources available to cope with any situation that arises. Logotherapy is assisting the person in finding these resources hidden within themselves. The word logotherapy comes from the Greek word logos, which literally means “meaning.” Logotherapy is more than a school of psychotherapy, it is not only a philosophy of religion but also a general philosophy of life. Thanks to its broad applicability and interdisciplinarity, logotherapy distinguishes itself from a number of other school of psychotherapy.
Frankl’s Logotherapy is founded on three pillars. These pillars are: Freedom of Will, Will to Meaning, and Meaning in Life. The first of these three philosophical and psychological concepts is Freedom of Will:
Freedom of Will
Humans are not fully subject to conditions but are basically free to decide and capable of taking their stance towards internal (psychological) and external (biological and social) conditions. Freedom is here defined as the space of shaping one's own life within the limits of the given possibilities. This freedom derives from the spiritual dimension of the person, which is understood as the essentially human real, over and above the dimensions of body and of psyche. As spiritual persons, humans are not just reacting organisms but autonomous beings capable of actively shaping their lives.
Will to Meaning
Human beings are not only free, but most importantly they are free to something - namely, to achieve goals and purposes. The search for meaning is seen as the primary motivation of humans.
The will to meaning is seen in three ways: the creative value (creating a work or doing a deed), the experiential value (experiencing something or encountering someone) and the attitudinal value ( the attitude taken toward unavoidable suffering). Frankl favors the realization of attitudinal value, since this value is superior to the others. Only through the actualization of attitudinal value can people achieve self- transcendence. When a person cannot realize his or her "Will to Meaning" in their lives they will experience an abysmal sensation of meaninglessness and emptiness. Frankl calls this situation as Existential vacuum. The frustration of the existential need for meaningful goals will give rise to aggression, addiction, depression and suicidality, and it may engender or increase psychosomatic maladies and neurotic disorders.
Meaning in Life
Logotherapy is based on the idea that meaning is an objective reality, as opposed to a mere illusion arising within the perceptional apparatus of the observer. According to logotheraphy humans are called upon, on the grounds of their freedom and responsibility, to bring forth the possible best in themselves and in the world, by perceiving and realizing the meaning of the moment in each and every situation.
In Book of Job, Frankl portrays the character development of Job through the lens of his unique philosophy, logotherapy. Job, a member of concentration camp in which people are subject to death, questions his meaning of life. At first he is about to lose his faith in God, but through his character development, in other words, through his search of meaning, he achieves his self-transcendence and finds meaning for his life.
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Refereces
Sandoval, T. Stone, K., Moore, R. A Franklian reading of the book of job
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