Meaning and Hope in the Work of Viktor Frankl

Reflecting on my work, supporting parents of adult children with disabilities, I asked myself about the meaning of my work. If the answer is “to give hope,” is it possible to live up to such a challenge? Viktor Frankl’s most famous book, Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything, bears witness to hope in its very title – witness to the hope that life has meaning despite all the suffering. The aim of this paper is to show the relationship between meaning and hope through analysing some of Frankl’s books. First, I provide a brief background to the people with whom I work. In understanding hope, I draw on Jan Sokol’s definition. I then briefly introduce Frankl’s logotherapy and the basic concepts with which he works, before analysing his texts and defining the relationship between meaning and hope. Finally, I consider whether I can live up to the claim of bringing hope through my work.