Extended Essay Idea - Philosophy

For the EE, I am looking into comparisons between French philosophers Albert Camus and
Jean-Paul Sartre, whose views on many concepts were certainly similar but also different
enough to warrant comparison and confrontation between them. Camus was an absurdist
and Sartre was an existentialist, and so they both fell under the scope of metaphysics,
political philosophy and ethics to a certain extent, however, the main points of comparison I
believe are their views on freedom (related to metaphysics) and their views on rebellion and
violence (related to political philosophy). There are also some other comparisons that could
be drawn from these two philosophers to others and not necessarily to one another –
namely, both philosophers had at least certain Marxist influence, Nietzschean influence and,
in the case of Camus, Kantian influence.

Possible questions could include:

(Metaphysics/Freedom)
- “To what extent are Camus’ and Sartre’s views on human freedom similar in relation
to external influence on the individual?”
- “To what extent are Camus’ and Sartre’s views on human freedom similar in relation
to the existence of free will?”
- “To what extent are Camus’ and Sartre’s views on human freedom similar in relation
to the freedom to construct a meaning for your life?”
- “How did Camus’/Sartre’s absurdist philosophy derive from previous existentialist
thinkers?”

(Political Philosophy)
- “To what extent did Camus’ and Sartre’s views on political revolt differ, in relation to
the use of violence and its justification?”
- “To what extent did Camus’ and Sartre’s views on Marxism differ, in relation to the
concept of totalitarianism?” (Link with the dictatorship of the proletariat?)
- “To what extent did Sartre’s views on human nature correspond to Marxism, in
relation to the concept of free will?”
- “To what extent did Camus and Sartre correspond with Kant’s views on humans
being treated as an end and never as a means?”