Question

directions: victor frankl was an austrian psychiatrist who survived three years in various concentration camps. after his release he recounted his experiences in an attempt to identify the psychological influences affecting the prisoners and to describe their responses. he tried to explain why some managed to survive such an inhuman existence.
read the accompanying excerpts from his work, man’s search for meaning. answer the questions below in the spaces provided. be ready to share your responses with the class

1. victor frankl quotes the german philosopher nietzsche to summarize his theory of survival.

“he who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.”
do you agree that a person can survive almost any ordeal if he or she has a future goal to live for? explain.

1. do you agree with frankl that the power of love for another person can overcome any suffering? explain.

Explanation:

The questions require personal agreement/disagreement with Frankl’s ideas from Man’s Search for Meaning, tied to his existential framework of meaning as a survival driver. No calculations are needed—responses depend on engaging with the philosophical and psychological claims about purpose and love.

Answer:

1. (Example response) Yes. A future goal provides a cognitive and emotional anchor that motivates resilience. Frankl’s concentration camp observations show prisoners with a "why" (e.g., reuniting with family) endured harsher conditions than those who lost purpose.
2. (Example response) Partially. Love can be a powerful source of strength, but extreme suffering may overwhelm even deep affection—though love often fuels the will to persist through hardship, as Frankl noted with memories of his wife sustaining him.