The Fundamental Views and the Need in Fundamental Courage

This article reviews Alfred Adler's "The Fundamental Views of Individual Psychology" in a general social and health-care context in the United States in the mid-1930s, with attention to Adler's personal life and his professional activities at that time. The article brings readers to Adler's metaphorical and prophetic language in his emphasis on human relationships, his reminder of the power of interpretation of self and present problems, his insistence on finding agreement with the needs of others, and his call for overcoming the challenges by contributing and finding courage to face life.