Before we take an in-depth look at how Existentialism and Psychoanalysis influenced Frankl, let's take a look at the meaning of each of these theories. Existentialism was identified with a cultural movement that flourished in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s; this term adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre as a self-description in the post-war literary and philosophical writings of Sartre and his associates. “By the mid-1970s the cultural image of existentialism had become a cliché, parodied in countless Woody Allen books and films.” (123 Help Me) According to a website I researched, All About Philosophy states that the definition of existentialism is: “Existentialism is a 20th century philosophy concerned with human existence, the search for self, and the meaning of life through free will, choice and personal responsibility." . The belief that people seek to discover who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and perspectives without the aid of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions. Existentialism therefore emphasizes that a person's judgment is the determining factor for what to believe rather than the religious or secular values of the world.” (all about philosophy) Therefore, along this pattern of thought, the idea that philosophy cannot be practiced in the disinterested manner of an objective science is in fact central to existentialism. Psychoanalysis is defined as: The method of psychological therapy originated by Sigmund Freud in which association, dream interpretation, and the analysis of resistance and transference are used to explore repressed or unconscious impulses, anxieties, and internal conflicts, to in order to release psychic energy for mature love and work. Freud also believed that personality was… at the heart of the paper… seeing things in the world as I see them; essentially I wouldn't be who I am. I find naivety to be a happiness; however knowledge is power; power to overcome, power to improve the world you currently find yourself in. I also think that Marxism has good intentions in this; eliminating poverty is a good thing; many hands make light work; Theories” in that realm – everyone means well – creating a utopian society is basically an unlikely fantasy to create due to human nature. Human nature is self-preserving, the fittest of the fit is the only one to survive in the end. Works Cited www.allaboutphilosophy.org/sistencerialism-definition-faq.htm Existentialism." 123HelpMe.com. 24 February 2011HelpMe.com/view.asp ?id=64963>.Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis." 123HelpMe.com. 24 February 2011HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=66480>.Vladimir LeninFirst Congress of the Communist International
tags