Expanding the Scope of Biological Evolution

Abstract

The psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who authored Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning, had a difficult life. By the age of 39, he had lost his wife, mother, and brother during the holocaust. He emerged after the war, having languished in a concentration camp, to go on and contribute heavily to the development of existential theory. He claimed that better states of psychological health are obtained by locating meaning in life. A statement by Frankl has resonated with me for some time. He said that “No animal will ever raise the question whether or not its existence has a meaning, but man does…” (Anon, 2007a). An evolutionary theorist might take issue with this statement, but it does not conflict with evolution. Humans have adapted cognitive skills that enable them to define a purpose for themselves.