Reductionism means that humans are reduced to less than they are. Frankl objects to sees in every human endeavor a means to an end or a mask. “Can there never be anything immediate, genuine, original?” he queries. (p. 19) Furthermore, in our recognition of human courage we cannot forget to have humility in the face of the spiritual realm. Without humility, man is also reduced to less than human.
Then with the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century man was reduced to a helpless being. All of the restraints on a person were emphasized, while the inherent human freedom in spite of biological, physiological and psychological restraints was overlooked.
It is important to acknowledge human freedom because without it a person cannot be judged morally or held accountable for his actions. Humans have the capacity to develop their character in a way that runs counter to their upbringing. Frankl mentions in this regard an anecdote about Dumas. When asked whether he was not troubled about his father’s loose morals the young Dumas replied, “Oh, no, Your Excellency; though he may not serve as an example to me, he serves as an excellent excuse for me.” (p. 21)
Frankl notes the contrast between Judaism and Christianity on the one hand and paganism on the other in this regard that one can be ethically judged only where he is free to decide and to act responsible, and is not to be judged where he is no longer free. (The Doctor and the Soul pp. 18-22)
The conclusion to all of this is that we are free despite our constraints and limitations. To whatever extent and in whichever areas we have freedom to choose our attitudes and our actions, we are responsible and held accountable for what we choose.
The following two passages are illustrations of the Jewish view to which Frankl refers. The first is the Medieval Jewish philosopher and codifier of Jewish law, Maimonides. The second reference is Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, a contemporary Jewish teacher of ethics in the Mussar tradition.
“Every human being who wants to direct himself towards a good path and be righteous has permission to do so. And if he wants to direct himself towards a bad path and be evil he has permission to do so. This follows the Biblical verse, ‘Behold, human beings will be like one of us to know good and evil.’ This means this creature called a human being is singular in all the world and there is no other creature similar to him in this regard who independently, using his knowledge and his own thought processes knows what is good and evil and does whatever he wants…This is an important principle and pillar of Torah/our teaching and the commandments as it says, ‘See I have placed before you today life…’ meaning permission is given in your hands and whatever a person wants to do he does…And because of this someone who sins is causing his own loss…and because of this it says in the prophets that a person is judged for all of his actions…” (Maimonides, laws of repentance 5:1-4)
“The judgment of a person is not by his education, even if his actions are noble and he sticks loyally to what he’s been taught, but rather by what he has intelligently done independently, without anyone setting him up to it. It is particularly in this aspect that a person is evaluated…It is fitting as a human bring, whose nature is intrinsically upright, to do good actions and veer away from what is wrong. By so doing he fulfilled what it means to be human, as distinguished from an animal. When a person is human in the full sense, the nature of a fully human being is to have nothing preventing him from life. This is as it says, ‘Do not be like a horse or a mule with no understanding, who is restrained by his bit and his bridle.’ All that prevents an animal from breaking out is something external like a bit and a bridle. It is not suitable for a human being to be like this but rather, the restraint should come from within himself, independently. In its state of wholeness, the human form restrains the person from those things that hold him back from wholeness, and encourages and demands that which brings him wholeness. This is the [spiritual] work…to be a master of inner wisdom – to understands independently, using his own inner wisdom, even regarding those things for which he has received no guidance or education. Only one who does not understand independently – who is ‘a horse or mule with no understanding’ – requires external fences.” (Pirkei Kinyan Da’at p. 28)