Educational Acmeology. Developmental Psychology

Izvestiya of Saratov University.

ISSN 2304-9790 (Print)
ISSN 2541-9013 (Online)


For citation:

Levit L. Z. Eudaimonism versus Existentialism: Once Again on Values and Meaning of Life. Izvestiya of Saratov University. Educational Acmeology. Developmental Psychology, 2016, vol. 5, iss. 4, pp. 306-314. DOI: 10.18500/2304-9790-2016-5-4-306-314

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0).
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Russian
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Article

Eudaimonism versus Existentialism: Once Again on Values and Meaning of Life

Autors: 
Levit Leonid Z., Center for Psychological Health and Education, Minsk, Belarus
Abstract: 

The article uncovers similarities and differences in approaches to finding the meaning of life from the positions of V. Frankl’s existentialism and eudaemonism. In order to illustrate provisions of the letter we used «Personally –oriented concept of happiness», which was developed by the author of the article. It is shown the status of values, which V. Frankl gave to pleasant emotions, serves as a paradoxical proof of hedonistic orientation of logotherapy. Perception of value of attitude as «the highest value» cannot be supported empirically and cannot be anti-therapeutic in the counseling work of a psychologist. Eudaemonic perspective unlike existential one gives priority to values of creation and preserved individual opportunities aimed at self-realization. Positive and negative emotions that emerge in the course of this process are viewed as accompanying products of creative activity, which promotes the accomplishment of the unique life assignment of an individual.

Reference: 

1. Levit L. Z. Evdemoniya: zhizn’ dlya geroya (Eudaemonia: life for hero). Sovremennaya zarubezhnaya psikhologiya (Journal of Modern Foreign Psychology), 2013, no. 1, pp. 69–77 (in Russian).

2. Levit L. Z. Evdemoniya: na puti k vershine (Eudaemonia: on way to top). Nepreryvnoe obrazovanie i psikhicheskoe zdorov’e: vozmozhnosti dlja molodyh i pozhilyh: materialy Mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf. (St.-Petersburg, 24–25 aprelya 2015 g.) (Lifelong education and mental health: opportunities for young and old: materials of International scientifi c and practical conference). St.-Petersburg, 2015, pp. 55–58 (in Russian).

3. Levit L. Z. Individual’nyy potentsial i ego realizatsiya: dvusistemnaya kontseptsiya: v 2 ch. Ch. 1. (Individual potential and its realizing: two-system conception: in 2 parts). Minsk, 2014. Part 1. 420 p. (in Russian).

4. Levit L. Z. Individual’nyy potentsial i ego realizatsiya: dvusistemnaya kontseptsiya: v 2 ch. Ch. 2. (Individual potential and its realizing: two-system conception: in 2 parts. Minsk, 2014. Part 2. 272 p. (in Russian).

5. Ryan R. M., Huta V., Deci E. L. Living well: A self-determination theory perspective on Eudaimonia. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2008, vol. 9, pp. 139–170.

6. Levit L. Z. Smysl i egoizm: sovmestimy li ponyatiya? (Meaning and Egoism: Are the Notions Compatible?). Pyataya Vserossiyskaya nauchno-prakticheskaya konferentsiya po ekzistentsial’noy psikhologii (Moskva, 6–8 maya 2013 g.). Materialy soobshcheniy. (The 5th All-Russian scientifi c and practical conference on existential psychology (Materials of reports) (Moscow, 2013 May 6–8). Moscow, 2013, pp. 90–93 (in Russian).

7. Levit L. Z., Nayda O. S. Lichnostno-orientirovannaya kontseptsiya shchast’ya: smysl i ego urovni (Personally oriented conception of happiness: meaning and its levels) APRIORI (elektron. nauch. zhurn.) Seriya: Gumanitarnye nauki. (APRIORI: e-journal. Ser. Humanitarians), 2015, no. 2, pp. 1–10 (in Russian).

8. Levit L. Z. Ispol’zovanie metodov vyborki perezhivaniy (ESM) v issledovaniyakh schast’ya. (Using of experience selection methods (ESM) in researches of happiness). Minsk, 2014. 148 p. (in Russian).

9. Leont’ev D. A. Psikhologiya smysla. 2-e izd. (Psychology of meaning. The 2nd ed.). Moscow, 2003. 487 p. (in Russian).

Published: 
12.12.2016