Ethical Lessons Learned From Viktor Frank.l’s Man’s Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl’s 1946 book, Man’s Search for Meaning, chronicles his experiences in a concentration camp during World War II and provides not only his personal account of the prisoner’s experience, but also offers an insightful commentary that became his proprietary clinical intervention following his liberation. Unfortunately, not all prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps were as prosperous. The individuals in positions of authority and responsible for prisoners during the Nazi occupation of Europe were able to engage in behaviors that are considered unethical by today’s standards, especially in the profession of psychology, where we recognize a responsibility for others and position of authority as part of professional psychology. The following paper will outline the conditions faced by both prisoners and certain subgroups of German civilians during the World War I era, and the behavior of Nazi affiliates in positions of authority, most notably physicians. Further, responses to the Nazi agenda by both international courts and in the context modern ethical code will be discussed. Finally, a review of the implications of the actions during this era as well as applications of these to modern ethical code and the future of psychology is provided.