User:Youre breathtaking/Philosophy of Albert Camus

Sisyphus, by Antonio Zanchi, 1660-1665.

The philosophy of Absurdism, or more precisely the Camus's Absurd (french : la philosophie de l'absurde, l'absurde camusien) is the term used to designate the work and philosophical thought of the writer Albert Camus. Based on the theory of absurdism and the metaphysical concept of the human quest for meaning, this philosophy is influenced by the author's political, libertarian, social and ecological ideas; and is inspired by previous philosophical trends, both general and political, such as Greek philosophy, nihilism, the Nitzschean thought or existentialism. It revolves around three major cycles: “the absurd (l'absurde),” “the revolt (la révolte),” and “love (l'amour).” Each cycle is linked to a Greek myth (Sisyphus, Prometheus, Nemesis) and explores specific themes and ideologies; the common thread remaining the solitude and despair of the human, constantly animated by the tireless search to transcend and surpass them.

I had a precise plan when I started my work: I wanted to first express negation. In three forms. Romanesque: it was The Stranger. Drama: Caligula and The Misunderstanding. Ideological: The Myth of Sisyphus. I wouldn't have been able to talk about it if I hadn't experienced it; I have no imagination. But for me it was, if you like, the methodical doubt of Descartes. I knew that we cannot live in negation and I announced it in the preface to the Myth of Sisyphus; I anticipated the positive in all three forms again. Romance: The Plague. Drama: The State of Siege and The Righteous. Ideological: The Rebel. I already saw a third layer around the theme of love. These are the projects I have in progress

— Albert Camus at Stockholm in 1957, quoted by Roger Quilliot in Essais, II, p. 1610 ·  · .

The cycle of the absurd, or negation, primarily addresses the issue of suicide, the human condition and the meaning of life; and is expressed by four of his works: the novel The Stranger and the essay The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), then the plays Caligula and The Misunderstanding (1944). By refusing the refuge of belief, Human becomes aware that his existence revolves around repetitive and meaningless acts. The certainty of death only reinforces, according to Camus, the feeling of uselessness of all existence. The absurd is therefore the feeling that man feels when confronted with the absence of meaning in the face of the Universe, the painful realization of his separation from the world.

The cycle of revolt, called the positive, is a direct response to the absurd and is also expressed by four of Camus's works: the novel The Plague (1947), the essay The Rebel (1951), then the plays The State of Siege (1948) and The Just Assassins (1949). Revolt is for the writer the way of experiencing the absurd, knowing our fatal destiny and nevertheless confronting it: "Man refuses the world as it is, without agreeing to escape from it", it is the intelligence grappling with the “unreasonable silence of the world.” Depriving ourselves of eternal life frees us from the constraints imposed by an improbable future; Man gains freedom of action, lucidity and dignity.

The philosophy of Albert Camus therefore has as its finitude a singular and lucid humanism. Providing a message of resilience, courage, and emancipation in the face of the absurdity of life, it inspires us to create our own meaning through our personal choices and commitments and to embrace the full extent of our freedom. For Camus asserts that, even in the absurd, there is room for passion and rebellion; and although the Universe may be indifferent to our search for meaning, this search is in itself meaningful. In The Myth of Sisyphus, the latter, despite his absurd destiny, finds a form of liberation in his incessant work: “one must imagine Sisyphus happy”.

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