Education for meaning in life and values: perception of university students from the book "Man's search for meaning" by Viktor Frankl

Abstract

A feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness in life has spread in contemporary society, especially among youngsters. Therefore, there is a necessity for an education that promotes a personal development anchored in the meaning of life, that is understood here as a primary source of motivation for human beings. To this end, the use of literature expressions, like books, for example, presents as a viable strategy. Thus, this work describes and discusses the perception of university students of computer engineering on the reading of the book "Man’s search for meaning" by Viktor Frankl. Reports written by the students were investigated through contente analysis. Overall, the results show that students identify the importance of meaning in life, both in their routines and in the overcoming of hardships, as well as the freedom and responsibility that human beings experience in choosing (or not) meaningful possibilities in life. Additionally, students were pleased with the activity proposed from the book.