Abstract
The author explores the history of ideas of logotherapy and existential analysis, focusing on the intellectual biography of Viktor Frankl. The evolution of Frankl’s thought is detailed, from its philosophical origins to its integration into psychiatry, psychology, and psychotherapy. Moreover, the enduring impact of Frankl’s theories and their relevance in addressing human experiences and the future of healthcare are noted.
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Notes
- 1.
Lehranalyse, translated roughly as “apprenticeship analysis,” is a required part of the training to become a psychoanalyst, whereby the trainee undergoes many hours of psychoanalysis in the role of patient.
- 2.
[Myoscain is a brand name of a 10% oral solution of guaifenesin, an expectorant medication sold over the counter. –Ed.]
- 3.
This quote originates from one of two copies of the original typed manuscript of the first version of Ärztliche Seelsorge. As is generally known, Frankl had lost the original in the disinfection chamber at Auschwitz. Two copies remained in Vienna: One was smuggled into the jail cell of Frankl’s childhood and climbing friend Hubert Gsur in 1942 as he awaited his execution from a death sentence on account of “subversion of the armed forces and attempted coup.” It is not known what happened to Gsur’s copy; it was probably destroyed by the prison administration. The other copy found itself in the care of Paul Polak during the war, who gave it back to Frankl after his return to Vienna; it is kept currently in Viktor Frankl’s private estate and document archive.
- 4.
For a list of these institutes, see https://www.viktorfrankl.org/institutes_wwE.html
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Excerpts from my Introduction featured in the Marquette University Press edition of The Feeling of Meaninglessness: A Challenge to Psychotherapy and Philosophy. Viktor E. Frankl. Edited by Alexander Batthyány ©2010. Reprinted by permission. I would like to thank Marquette University Press for the reprint permission. I would also like to thank Marquette’s former senior editor, Andrew Tallon; our joint venture in the compilation of The Feeling of Meaninglessness stands as an exemplar of both scholarly rigor and collegial amicability.
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Batthyány, A. (2024). “For the Person Is Always at Work”: Viktor Frankl’s Path to Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. In: McLafferty, Jr., C.L., Levinson, J. (eds) Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. Logotherapy and Existential Analysis: Proceedings of the Viktor Frankl Institute Vienna, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48922-8_1
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