Comparing the Philosophies in Camus's The Stranger and Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning - Book Report/Review Example

TABLE OF CONTENT Heading Page INTRODUCTION1 CALMS' PHILOSOPHY FRANKL'S PHILOSOPHY.2 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.4 CONCLUSION...6 INTRODUCTION Existentialism is a difficult term and an odd movement to define but the books, "The Stranger" by Calms and "Man's Search for Meaning" by Frank, tend to show characters which display existentialism in their characters. This essay is an eager effort to analyze the existential philosophies displayed in the works of both the writers. We will analyze calms philosophy and then franks philosophy, further trying to find the similarities and differences in both the writers. CALMS' PHILOSOPHY The story of The Stranger is narrated by a doomed character, Meursault, and is set between two deaths, his mother's and his own. Meursault is a clerk, who seems to have no feelings and spends afternoons in lovemaking and empty nights in the cinema. He reaches self-knowledge by committing a crime - he shoots an Arab on the beach without explicit reason and motivation - it was hot, the Arab had earlier terrorized him and his friend Raymond, and he had an headache. Meursault is condemned to die as much for his refusal to accept the standards of social behavior as for the crime itself. In his great work, "The Stranger," Albert Camus exposes his readers to the existentialistic parts of philosophy. The existentialism within his work shapes his characters, by determining how they will act and respond to what is going on around them. However, due to the existentialism, the character stands out in a way unique to the characters in that work. Meursault, the protagonist in "The Stranger," is an insensitive individual. He shows no feelings towards anyone throughout the novel. It is this lack of feeling that strongly reflects the philosophy of existentialism. Meursault does not feel any sensations a normal human would have with members of the opposite sex, nor does anything important seem to interest him. This lack of feeling, Meursault does realize it is a problem, for he states himself, "I explained to him, however, that my nature was that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.(pg 65)" also sees no reason for change in his life. The common theme is that life will be meaningless if we don't put anything into it. Another good example would be after Maman's funeral, Meursault says that, "It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed." The work of Camus show the theme of absurdity that life is meaningless by death and an individual can't make sense of his experience. Work, a home, and a girl is what Meursault has, and he feels nothing more is needed. He is very existentialistic because of his fate. When the priest asks Meursault if he would like a different life, his response was that he would like one that would be exactly the same as this current one. The fate for the rest of his life rolls a rock to the top of a mountain, then stops and watches it roll back past him. There is no way we can control our fate, because it is predetermined. When he was asked whether he would like to move to Paris, Meursault responded that "people never change their lives, that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn't dissatisfied with mine here at all." FRANKL'S PHILOSOPHY In general Victor Frankl sees man as a free, self-determined agent who uniquely determines the meaning of his own individual life, having the potential for either great good or great evil. He stresses man's responsibility for his own life: "things determine each other but man is ultimately self-determining" (p.157). He asks, "How can we dare to predict the behavior of man"(p. 155). Yet he cautions that "freedom...is not the last word"(p. 155) but rather "is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness" (p. 156). Frankl sees the primary motivation of man as "the striving to find meaning in one's life" (p. 121). This is not merely "a 'secondary rationalization' of instinctual drives" (p. 121), but the major driving force for man's actions. Later we will see how this presupposition forms the framework for his definition of man's basic need or problem, as well as his therapeutic methods. Frankl believes that man has the potential to become either "swine or saint," depending not on external conditions but rather on the decisions of his own free will. Drawing on his concentration camp experiences, he notes that: "Life in a concentration camp tore open the human soul and exposed its depths. Is it surprising that in those depths we again found only human qualities which in their very nature were a mixture of good and evil" (p. 108) Frankl's system, however, does not see man as responsible before God, but only as responsible to himself. There is no place in his system for absolute standards of value, as determined by God, to distinguish between good and evil. Frankl claims that "man's search for meaning may arouse inner tension rather than inner equilibrium," but "precisely such tension is an indispensable prerequisite of mental health" (p.126). "What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task" (p. 127). Such sentiments are echoed by many other psychologists, using such phrases as "hunger for significance." Having begun with man's need for meaning, Frankl states that "man's will to meaning can also be frustrated" (p. 123). "A man's concern, even his despair, over the worthwhileness of life is an existential distress but by no means a mental disease" (p. 125). Elsewhere Frankl proposes that an "existential vacuum" exists because "at the beginning of human history, man lost some of the basic animal instincts in which an animal's behavior is imbedded and by which it is secured" (p. 128). A second loss to man is that "the traditions which buttressed him are now rapidly diminishing" (p. 128). This problem of boredom results in "more problems to solve than distress" (p.129). A frustration of man's will to meaning may be "vicariously compensated for" either by a "Will to power" or a "Will to pleasure" or some other substitute (p. 129). COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Throughout much of The Stranger, Camus uses Sartre's philosophy of existentialism to show how all choices in life will eventually end up with the same outcome, being death. Meursault could care less about his life as it was shown through the choices he made during the novel. Because of his lack of interest in his or another's life and his atheist beliefs, Camus's writing is strictly influenced by most of Sartre's philosophy of existentialism. Sartre explains that every man is what he wills and nothing else but what he makes of himself. He also says that man cannot be responsible for only himself, but that a man must be responsible for another man. But in the overall outcome of life, no matter what choices you make, your life turns out to be the same either way. Meursault realizes this from the beginning and it shows through him throughout the novel. Nevertheless, Frankl does indicate that meaning extends beyond self, that "the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche" (p. 133). He claims that "the more one forgets himself"..."the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself" (p. 133). Compared to psychoanalysis, logotherapy is "less retrospective and introspective," focusing "rather on the future, that is to say, on the meanings to be fulfilled by the patient in his future" (p. 120). In this way, "the typical self-centeredness of the neurotic is broken up instead of being continually fostered and reinforced" (p. 120). Thus, Frankl's goal appears to be one of finding meaning, yet not limiting that meaning to one-self alone. A strong relativism is found in Frankl's philosophy. The therapist "must leave to him (the patient) the option for what, to what, or to whom he understands himself to be responsible," whether "to society or to his own conscience" (p. 132). Therefore, the "logotherapist is the least tempted of all psychotherapists to impose value judgments on his patients," leaving such judgments up to them to decide. "Logotherapy is neither teaching nor preaching. It is as far removed from logical reasoning as it is from moral exhortation" (p. 132). Thus, there is really no absolute standard for change; anything goes! According to Camus's philosophy, existence is emphasized, while abstract ideas are disregarded. It suggests that the meaning of life cannot be defined by human reason and that an individual must live solely based on what is known and discard anything that is not entirely certain. Through their inevitable fate, disrespect, assertion of freedom and choice, and indifference towards society, the reader can come to see a philosophical parallel between this mythological figure and modern freeloader. The existentialist person must live solely based on what is known and discard anything that is not entirely certain. This is shown by the characters through his understanding of fate. Meursault show a lack of respect towards the society. Meursault also accepts his fate, after awaking to the notion that hope will get him nowhere. Frankl, advising a "tragic optimism," lists three points in his counsel on how to respond to unavoidable suffering: 3. "Turning suffering into a human achievement and accomplishment." (p. 163) 4. "Deriving from guilt the opportunity to change oneself for the better." (p. 162) 5. "Deriving from life's transistorizes an incentive to take responsible action." (p. 162) In discussing guilt, Frankl states that "a crime in the final analysis remains inexplicable inasmuch as it cannot be fully traced back to biological, psychological, and/or sociological factors" (p. 173). In fact "totally explaining one's crime would be tantamount to explaining away his or her guilt and to seeing in him or her not a free and responsible human being but a machine to be repaired." (p. 173). The third point concerns Frankl's response to the reality of death. He suggests that near the end of your life you should look not to transistorizes, but rather at "the deeds done, the loves loved, and last but not least, the sufferings (you) have gone through with courage and dignity" (p. 175). In the meantime, "as soon as we have used an opportunity and have actualized a potential meaning, we have done so once and for all" (p. 175). According to the Camus's theory of existentialism the universe is irrational. Meursault constantly thinks of his appeal and dreams of becoming a free man staring at the doors to the police station from the outside, but this will never happen. The case is unlike any they had ever experienced. When describing such situations such as the tortuous heat at the funeral and the blazing sun on the beach he is able to do so with such precision. He knows he must make the most of the time he has left in order to understand life itself. He centers on the conditions of his physical self and the weather, especially the sun. Frank says "When a man finds that it is his destiny to suffer, he will have to accept his suffering as his task; his single and unique task. He will have to acknowledge the fact that even in suffering he is unique and alone in the universe. No one can relieve him of his suffering or suffer in his place. His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burden." (p. 99) CONCLUSION The philosophy of Camus shows that the overall outcome of life, no matter what choices we make our life turns out to be the same either way whereas a strong relativism is found in Frank's philosophy. Frank shows optimism in his work but one can see that Camus character sees nothing positive in life. Altogether one can say that although both Camus and frank are discussing the same psychological aspect in their writing still they have entirely two different approaches towards it. Read More