WINNING THE RAT UTOPIA WITH THE FREEDOM OF THE SPIRIT OF VIKTOR FRANKL'S LOGOTHERAPY

Abstract

An examination was conducted to explore the similarities between the observations of two theorists with distinct epistemological foundations, John Bumpass Calhoun and Viktor Emil Frankl. The first developed peculiar experiments with rats and verified a process of death of the “spirit” of these animals; the second saw a similar form of death in concentration camps and diagnosed the ailment of the century as the existential void. A review of Frankl's main works was undertaken to provide a reflection on one of Calhoun's primary experiments, the Universe 25. It was concluded that among the social phenomena identified as potential promoters of distress in the post-modern man, the following can be cited: the excess of density in large cities, the break with tradition, the weakening of family relationships, intense competition in the job market, and the influence of radical ideologies. Although there are similarities between the observed aspects in rodents and the direction in which humanity appears to be heading, ultimately, humans are not deterministically subject to these behaviors but rather more inclined to act according to their instincts when depressed by lack of meaning.