Free will often seems like nothÂing more than a cruÂel illuÂsion. We don’t get to choose the times, places, and cirÂcumÂstances of our birth, nor do we have much conÂtrol over the state of our states, regions, or nations. Even the few who can design conÂdiÂtions such that they are always secure and comÂfortÂable find themÂselves unavoidÂably subÂject to what BudÂdhists call the “divine mesÂsenÂgers” of sickÂness, aging, and death. BiolÂoÂgy may not be desÂtiny, but it is a force more powÂerÂful than many of our best intenÂtions. And though most of us in the West have the privÂiÂlege of livÂing far away from war zones, milÂlions across the world face extremÂiÂties we can only imagÂine, and to which we are not immune by any stretch.
Among all of the psyÂchiÂaÂtrists, philosoÂphers, and reliÂgious figÂures who have wresÂtled with these uniÂverÂsal truths about the human conÂdiÂtion, perÂhaps none has been put to the test quite like neuÂrolÂoÂgist and psyÂchotherÂaÂpist VikÂtor FranÂkl, who surÂvived Auschwitz, but lost his mothÂer, father, brothÂer, and first wife to the camps.
While imprisÂoned, he faced what he described as “an unreÂlentÂing strugÂgle for daiÂly bread and for life itself.” After his camp was libÂerÂatÂed in 1945, FranÂkl pubÂlished an extraÂorÂdiÂnary book about his expeÂriÂences: Man’s Search for MeanÂing, “a strangeÂly hopeÂful book,” writes Matthew SculÂly at First Things, “still a staÂple on the self-help shelves” though it is “inescapably a book about death.” The book has seen dozens of ediÂtions in dozens of lanÂguages and ranks 9th on a list of most influÂenÂtial books.
FranÂkl’s theÂsis echoes those of many sages, from BudÂdhists to StoÂics to his 20th cenÂtuÂry ExisÂtenÂtialÂist conÂtemÂpoÂraries: “EveryÂthing can be takÂen from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attiÂtude in any givÂen set of cirÂcumÂstances, to choose one’s own way.” Not only did he find hope and meanÂing in the midst of terÂriÂble sufÂferÂing, but after his unimagÂinÂable loss, he “remarÂried, wrote anothÂer twenÂty-five books, foundÂed a school of psyÂchotherÂaÂpy, built an instiÂtute bearÂing his name in VienÂna,” and genÂerÂalÂly lived a long, hapÂpy life. How? The interÂview above will give you some idea. FranÂkl mainÂtains that we always have some freeÂdom of choice, “in spite of the worst conÂdiÂtions,” and thereÂfore always have the abilÂiÂty to seek for meanÂing. “PeoÂple are free,” says FranÂkl, no matÂter their levÂel of oppresÂsion, and are responÂsiÂble “for makÂing someÂone or someÂthing out of themÂselves.”
FranÂkl’s priÂmaÂry achieveÂment as a psyÂchotherÂaÂpist was to found the school of “logotherÂaÂpy,” a sucÂcesÂsor to FreudiÂan psyÂchoÂanalyÂsis and AdlerÂian indiÂvidÂual psyÂcholÂoÂgy. DrawÂing on ExisÂtenÂtialÂist phiÂlosÂoÂphy (FranÂkl’s book was pubÂlished in GerÂmany with the alterÂnate title From ConÂcenÂtraÂtion Camp to ExisÂtenÂtialÂism)—but turnÂing away from an obsesÂsion with the Absurd—his approach, writes his instiÂtute, “is based on three philoÂsophÂiÂcal and psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal conÂcepts… FreeÂdom of Will, Will to MeanÂing, and MeanÂing in Life.”
You can hear how FranÂkl works these prinÂciÂples into his phiÂlosÂoÂphy in the fasÂciÂnatÂing interÂview, as well as in the short clip above from an earÂliÂer lecÂture, in which he rails against a crude and ultiÂmateÂly unfulÂfillÂing form of meanÂing-makÂing: the purÂsuit of wealth. Even us mateÂriÂalÂisÂtic AmerÂiÂcans, renowned for our greed, FranÂkl notes with good humor, respond to surÂveys in overÂwhelmÂing numÂbers sayÂing our greatÂest desire is to find meanÂing and purÂpose in life. Like no othÂer secÂuÂlar voice, FranÂkl was conÂfiÂdent that we could do so, in spite of life’s seemÂing chaos, through—as he explains above—a kind of ideÂalÂism that brings us closÂer to realÂiÂty.
Note: You can downÂload FranÂkl’s major book, “Man’s Search for MeanÂing,” as a free audio book if you join AudiÂble’s 30-Day Free TriÂal proÂgram. Find details on that here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness