Meaning of life and happiness in logotherapy: Challenges of social and political implementation
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Relevance. The article explores the potential of utilizing the logotherapeutic approach as a theoretical foundation for developing new strategies in societal and political advancement, particularly in the context of overcoming existential vacuum and the search for meaning in life during global crises. The concept of happiness is considered as an indicator of a sense of meaningfulness, self-realization, and freedom of will at both personal and societal levels, aligning with the understanding of happiness in logotherapy. The aim is to examine and systematize modern global approaches to the constitutionalization of happiness and its social and political implementation, and to compare them with the logotherapeutic understanding of meaning and happiness. The methodological basis is a comparative-analytical approach that integrates the interpretation of philosophical and psychological sources, statistical data analysis, contemporary context review, and extrapolation of logotherapeutic principles into the socio-political domain. Special attention is given to the phenomenon of existential frustration as a shared challenge for both individuals and society. It is established that the constitutionalization of happiness has been implemented at the state level in many countries. Contemporary methodologies for measuring and indexing the level of happiness in various countries, such as the World Happiness Index, are examined. The study analyzes the inclusion of the eudaimonic approach in the indexing process and reviews the experience of specific countries. It identifies risks of distortion of the principles of self-transcendence within totalitarian systems. The conclusions justify the relevance of implementing logotherapeutic ideas into political discourse, particularly through an orientation toward meaning. It is shown that such approaches can foster increased personal responsibility, the development of autonomous motivation, and the foundations of a humanistically oriented state policy. The limits of the research lie in its theoretical character; future research may focus on empirical testing of the proposed hypotheses. The practical significance lies in the potential to design new educational and governmental programs that address the deep existential needs of the individual. The social implications include a potential decrease in levels of social apathy, anxiety, and political alienation.
Source: Проблеми політичної психології
Authors: Olena Ronzhes, Nataliia Khmelyova
Institution: V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4411213365