Camus, absurdity, and revolt

MAY 17, 2010 BY TIMRAYNER 21 C MMENT!

Albert Camus "1#1$%1#&0' (as a )ren*+ (riter and e,istentialist -+iloso-+er. /e (as born in Al0eria, t+en a *olony o1 )ran*e, (+i*+ 0ave +im a uni2ue -ers-e*tive on t+e li1e o1 t+e outsider. Camus is (idely a*3no(led0ed as t+e 0reatest o1 t+e -+iloso-+ers o1 4t+e absurd5. /is idea is sim-le6 /uman bein0s are *au0+t in a *onstant attem-t to derive meanin0 1rom a meanin0less (orld. T+is is t+e 4-arado, o1 t+e absurd5. Camus5 novels The Outsider "1#72', The Plague"1#77', and The Fall "1#8&' are *lassi*s o1 e,istentialist 1i*tion. /is -+iloso-+i*al (ritin0s The Myth of Sisyphus "1#72' and The Rebel "1#81' are -ro1ound statements o1 -osition. Camus (as a(arded t+e Nobel 9ri:e 1or ;iterature in 1#87. <nli3e 1ello( e,istentialist, =ean%9aul !artre, +e a**e-ted it. It is instru*tive to *onsider t+e di11eren*es bet(een !artre and Camus. T+e men (ere 1riends in t+e (ar years. To0et+er, t+ey edited t+e -oliti*al >ournal Combat. But !artre and Camus 1ell out on a**ount o1 t+eir vie(s on !talin and *ommunism. In t+e 1#80s, !artre t+re( +is su--ort be+ind !talin5s vision o1 t+e 0lobal *ommunist stru00le. Camus (as unim-ressed by t+e ?ends >usti1y t+e means@ mentality o1 t+e *ommunist revolutionaries, and (ould +ave no tru*3 (it+ !talin5s mass -rodu*tion o1 a -er1e*ted +umanity. In The Rebel, +e made +is *riti*isms -lain. !artre res-onded in an0er and ended t+eir 1riends+i-. T+e brea3%u- (as a lon0 time *omin0. 9+iloso-+i*ally, Camus di11ered (it+ !artre on 3ey issues in*ludin0 t+e de1inition o1 e,istential aut+enti*ity. !artre ar0ued t+at aut+enti*ity involves ma3in0 a fundamental choice about +o( to live A as a -+iloso-+er, (riter, *ommunist, (+atever. T+e *aveat is t+at (e a*3no(led0e t+at t+is is only a *+oi*e, and t+ere are ot+er *+oi*es (e *an ma3e in li1e. Camus ar0ued 1or (+at is ultimately, I t+in3, a more un*om-romisin0 -osition6 t+at e,istential aut+enti*ity demands t+at (e admit to ourselves t+at our -lans and -ro>e*ts are for the most part hopeless and in vain A and stru00le on re0ardless. T+is, 1or Camus, is e,istential revolt A to a11irm t+e absurdity o1 li1e and *ontinue.

Revolt is a constant confrontation between man and his own obscurity [It] is certainty of a crushing fate, without the resignation which out to accompany it.

Camus *rystalli:es t+e attitude o1 revolt in t+e *+ara*ter o1 !isy-+us, a 1i0ure 1rom Bree3 myt+. he gods had condemned !isyphus to ceaselessly rolling a roc" to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall bac" of its own weight. hey had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor. !tru00le to 0et out o1 bed in t+e mornin0C Ima0ine bein0 !isy-+us. !isy-+us is 1or*ed ea*+ day to roll a boulder to t+e to- o1 a mountain only to (at*+ it roll do(n a0ain. T+is is t+e +uman *ondition, says Camus. T+e t(ist in Camus5 ta3e on t+e meanin0lessness o1 e,isten*e is t+at +e a11irms !isy-+us as t+e absurd +ero. !isy-+us is +eroi* not be*ause +e su11ers +is 1ate, but be*ause 4+e is su-erior to +is 1ate5. !isy-+us does not (ee- and lament +is 1ate. ut o1 s*orn 1or t+e 0ods (+o *ondemned +im to t+is 1ate, +e a11irms +is labor, and *on*ludes t+at all is (ell. )i,in0 +is eye on t+e stone at t+e bottom o1 t+e +ill, +e trud0es do(n t+e slo-e to retrieve it. Camus says6 4 ne must ima0ine t+at !isy-+us is +a--y5. To a11irm t+e absurdity o1 e,isten*e and *ontinue6 t+is is revolt. Camus re1le*ts6 It may be thought that suicide follows revolt # but wrongly. [R]evolt gives value to life. o a man devoid of blinders, there is no finer sight than that of the intelligence at grips with a reality that transcends it $%amus, he &yth of !isyphus'.