An Analysis of Viktor Frankl's Philosophy: A Key for Suffering Nigerians
EXISTENCE: AN ANALYSIS OF VIKTOR FRANKL 'S PHILOSOPHY, A KEY FOR SUFFERING NIGERIANS
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
There is no doubt that the question of the meaning of life strikes a bell not only in the philosophical, but scientific, theological and literary domain. It is perhaps the most fundamental question in human existence. It speaks about the inquiry into the reason for man’s existence and that of existence in the universe.
This question has pulled to itself an outstanding measure of attention in philosophical studies and philosophers of different epochs have approached it from various ways, both as it pertains to man per se and as it pertains generally to life in the universe.
The existentialists handled this question as one of the foundational stones of the structure of their inquiry. According to this understanding, the focus of philosophical thought should be, “not to deal with the purpose of life in the universe for it is meaningless to ask about the meaning of life in the universe but to deal with the meaning of life as it pertains to man.”1
Noteworthy, is the fact that even before the emergence of the epoch of the existentialist philosophers people of different epochs had dived into the inquiry of the meaning of life. One among others is the essentialist school for instance; this group regards the meaning of life to be “determined through perfection of the intellect which is the essence of human nature.”2 As such, their approach views man in general, that is, man as a universal notion. But the view of the existentialists themselves is based on the idea that “it is only personal choices and commitments that can give any meaning to life since, for an individual, life can only be his or her life, and not an abstractly given entity.”3 Thus the existentialist view is that the focus of philosophical thought should be to deal with man as an individual thereby
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
There is no doubt that the question of the meaning of life strikes a bell not only in the philosophical, but scientific, theological and literary domain. It is perhaps the most fundamental question in human existence. It speaks about the inquiry into the reason for man’s existence and that of existence in the universe.
This question has pulled to itself an outstanding measure of attention in philosophical studies and philosophers of different epochs have approached it from various ways, both as it pertains to man per se and as it pertains generally to life in the universe.
The existentialists handled this question as one of the foundational stones of the structure of their inquiry. According to this understanding, the focus of philosophical thought should be, “not to deal with the purpose of life in the universe for it is meaningless to ask about the meaning of life in the universe but to deal with the meaning of life as it pertains to man.”1
Noteworthy, is the fact that even before the emergence of the epoch of the existentialist philosophers people of different epochs had dived into the inquiry of the meaning of life. One among others is the essentialist school for instance; this group regards the meaning of life to be “determined through perfection of the intellect which is the essence of human nature.”2 As such, their approach views man in general, that is, man as a universal notion. But the view of the existentialists themselves is based on the idea that “it is only personal choices and commitments that can give any meaning to life since, for an individual, life can only be his or her life, and not an abstractly given entity.”3 Thus the existentialist view is that the focus of philosophical thought should be to deal with man as an individual thereby
References: 1. V. Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning,(USA: Washington Square Press, 1985), p.157 2 3. S. Covey, Philosophy and Responsibility, (Chicago: Cambridge University Press, 1998), p.15 4 7. J. P Sartre, Being and Nothingness, (London: Routledge Classics, 2003), pp 73-105 BIBLIOGRAPHY ACHEBE C., The Trouble with Nigeria, Enugu: Fourth Dimension Publishing Co., Ltd, 1983 ASAGBA R., Logotherapy and Cultural Development, Ibadan: Spectrum Books Ltd, 2006. BAGGINI J., What’s It All About? Philosophy and The Meaning of Life, London: Granta Books, 2004 BAILEY V. (ed.), Perspectives on values, America: La Sierra University Press, 1993. Norton & company, 1989 BUNCHUA K., et al (eds.), The Bases ofValues In A Time of Change:Chinese Philosophical Studies, Vol 16. China: The Green Books Inc., 1995 CAMUS A., Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays, New York: Alfred A.Knopf, 1955 CHIGBO K., The Unheard Cry of The Igbo People, USA: Graduate Theological Foundation, 2008 CHINWEIZU Nigerian’s and Materialism. Markurdi: Almond Publishers, 1992 COLLIER A., Being and Worth. London: Rutledge Publications, 1999. COVEY S., Philosophy and Responsibility. Chicago: Cambridge University Press, 1998. FRANKL V., The Doctor And The Soul. New York: Alfred Knopf Inc., 1983 FRANKL V., Man’s Search For Meaning. USA: Washington Square Press, 1985 GAUS F., Value and Justification, The Foundations of Liberal Theory, USA: Cambridge University Press, 1990. in Professional Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publications, 1999. KAUFMAN W. (ed.), Religion from Tolstoy to Camus, New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1961 Publications, 1998 LAERTIUS D., Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book X, USA: Oxford University Press, 1989 MMADUBUKO C Publications, 2008.