Engaging a Text

Read the selections from Man’s Search for Meaning (pp.65-80, 97-115) by Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychologist. The first half of the book is his testimony, the second half is an introduction to the form of therapy he developed call Logotherapy. Then, watch this brief interview of Frankl titled Viktor Frankl: Our Need for Meaning and Purpose (7 minutes duration).

Reflect on what you have read and heard. What challenge does Frankl’s work pose to a modern audience? What core values are expressed in his “three ways to find meaning”? What is the connection between his work as a psychologist and his status as a concentration camp survivor?