The Search for Meaning in the Academy

Abstract

This chapter surveys major themes from the book, emphasizing the practical relevance of the Case Study data and theoretical interpretations for graduate students and professors who do not have unusually personal connections to their scholarship. Viktor Frankl’s existential psychology (logotherapy) can help everyone live and work more meaningfully in the academy. The chapter closes by offering evidence that “unusually personal” scholarship may not be quite so unusual after all. Readers are invited to share their personal stories of meaning discovery on a Facebook page, “The Well-lit Room.” A final section containing existential questions for readers is provided.

In the academy we do not create résumés. We build vitas.

In Latin the word vita means “life”.