Analysis from the perspective of Jean Paul Sartre and Viktor Frankl on the meaning of existence

Abstract

In the following work the question is answered, what is the meaning of existence? From the theories established by Jean Paul Sartre in his work Existentialism is a humanism, and by psychologist Viktor Frankl, with Man in search of meaning, as bibliographical references.

It explains what existentialism is for Sartre and characterizes this philosophical trend, analyzing the attitude that man should take towards the world and how this influences human beings.

It introduces what is known as the three stages of existentialism that were analyzed by Sartre: the first is anguish, and denotes how it influences the decision making that allows change in the human race, the next is helplessness, which It represents the feeling that is generated in human beings due to the absence of God, and finally there is despair, which is expressed when the will of the individual does not allow him to do what he wants and consequently the impotence that turns into despair appears. The ideas established by Viktor Frankl are analyzed, who will be subject to analysis by having survived the terrible experience of being a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, and that based on his experience develops an interesting perspective on the search of the meaning of existence.

It is concluded that in order to find meaning in existence, a motivation is needed that can be manifested in different ways in order to keep the human being with an objective or goal to exist.