Man's Search for Meaning

Archival Summary & Scope

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's profound memoir chronicles his harrowing survival in Nazi death camps, including Auschwitz, where he lost his entire family. From this unimaginable ordeal and his later clinical practice, Frankl developed logotherapy. This influential theory posits that humanity's primary drive is the discovery and pursuit of meaning, not pleasure. Frankl argues that while we cannot avoid suffering, we retain the freedom to choose our attitude, find meaning in adversity, and move forward with renewed purpose. An enduring classic, this work has sold over 10 million copies and was named among the ten most influential books in America by a Library of Congress survey.