Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20127900
Genetic Engineering, Mental Health and the Question of Meaning: A Philosophical Critique of Biotechnological Reductionism from the Perspective of Logotherapy
Ivana Lalić Čičković
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Fakultet filozofije i religijskih znanosti, Zagreb
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* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
The contemporary development of genetic engineering and biotechnology strongly influences the way mental health is understood and treated today. Advances in precision diagnostics and personalized therapies enable more effective biomedical interventions, but at the same time promote reductionist approaches that reduce psychic disorders primarily to biological or genetic causes. Within such a framework the existential dimension of human experience, including the question of meaning, the sense of inner emptiness and the individual's orientation in life, is often neglected. This development opens a series of ethical and philosophical questions, particularly concerning the limits of intervention in human nature and responsibility toward patients. This review paper analyzes the reach and limitations of biotechnological interventions in psychiatry and psychology from the perspective of Viktor E. Frankl's logotherapy, which recognizes the will to meaning as a fundamental dimension of human existence. The paper shows that, although biotechnological approaches may contribute to symptom relief and improved functioning, they cannot substitute for the human need for meaning. In conclusion, the need is emphasized for incorporating logotherapeutic and philosophical insights into clinical practice, so that the treatment of mental disorders may proceed in a manner that respects the ethical, existential and value-related needs of patients.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
348965
URI
Datum izdavanja:
1.6.2026.
Posjeta: 0 *