Human Freedom and Self-Determination

Frankl critiques the deterministic views in psychotherapy that reduce human behavior to mere outcomes of external conditions. He emphasizes human agency, asserting that individuals have the freedom to choose their responses irrespective of their circumstances. The story of Dr. J., once known as a 'mass murderer,' who evolved into a compassionate comrade in a Soviet prison, compellingly illustrates Frankl's point. He writes, 'Man is ultimately self-determining. Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be.' This perspective underlines the idea that personal transformation is always possible, transcending even the bleakest of conditions.