KEY IDEAS OF ALFRED ADLER’S THEORY IN THE CONDITIONS OF CONTEMPORARY TIME

Abstract

This article explores the key concepts of Alfred Adler’s individual psychology through the lens of modern sociopsychological realities, particularly the context of war. Central notions of the analysis include the inferiority complex, striving for superiority, social interest, fictional finalism, lifestyle, and the creative power of the self. Special attention is given to the biographical and historical context of Adler’s theoretical development, especially his childhood and experience as a military doctor in World War I. These influences contributed to his holistic model of personality as an active creator of one’s own life, responsible for adapting to society and choosing a lifestyle. By analyzing Adler’s ideas in the light of the war in Ukraine, the article interprets Russian aggression as a manifestation of collective compensation for a deep-rooted historical inferiority complex. Ideas of “greatness”, “imperial revival,” and “missionism” are considered fictional finalisms masking fear, identity loss, and social frustration. In contrast, Ukrainian society is presented as an example of mature compensation based on high levels of social interest, solidarity, responsibility, and service. This approach highlights the expression of the creative power of the self in Ukrainians’ response to wartime trauma – the capacity to transform suffering into meaning and weakness into strength. The article underscores the humanistic potential of Adler’s theory for understanding not only individual but also collective psychology in the context of war, aggression, and trauma. The Adlerian model may serve as an effective tool in crisis psychology, trauma therapy, the development of civic consciousness, and the fostering of social responsibility. Viewing war as a neurotic compensation of the inferiority complex, as well as constructive adaptation through social interest, opens new perspectives for applying classical psychological theory in the modern context.