Paperback, 160 pages
Published Nov. 6, 2018 by Vintage.
Camus references a vast number of contemporary and classical works. He weaves a tapestry of ideas from his influences to lay out his seminal philosophy. The prose can be dense and slow going, but the result is rewarding. I recommend familiarity with Don Juan, Kafka, or, Dostoevsky. Would be five stars if the style was more approachable or less French.
It should go without saying that this is a modern classic, and Camus nails the modern predicament on the head. Basically, we all live our lives believing we have control over our own fates. But, eventually, we realize we’re little more than drones. We wake up, work, spend time with our friends and families, go to bed, and repeat. Eventually, realize that it’s all meaningless.
Camus takes this situation as his starting point and deals with the question of suicide. What options do we have to deal with this meaninglessness? Traditionally, there have seemed to be two options: taking the “leap” and hoping for something to give our lives meaning, or killing ourselves. Camus finds the first scenario as to be little more than a state of denial. So, that leaves suicide, right?
Wrong.
Camus suggests that we embrace the absurd, which requires us to do three things:
Revolt. Do …
It should go without saying that this is a modern classic, and Camus nails the modern predicament on the head. Basically, we all live our lives believing we have control over our own fates. But, eventually, we realize we’re little more than drones. We wake up, work, spend time with our friends and families, go to bed, and repeat. Eventually, realize that it’s all meaningless.
Camus takes this situation as his starting point and deals with the question of suicide. What options do we have to deal with this meaninglessness? Traditionally, there have seemed to be two options: taking the “leap” and hoping for something to give our lives meaning, or killing ourselves. Camus finds the first scenario as to be little more than a state of denial. So, that leaves suicide, right?
Wrong.
Camus suggests that we embrace the absurd, which requires us to do three things:
Revolt. Do not accept any answers or explanations. There are none in reality.
Be free. Our thoughts and actions are our own. Any creation of masters, whether family, friends, employers, or God, entails a loss of freedom.
Be passionate. Always engage with the diversity of life and live to the fullest.
In doing these three things, it’s possible to live as the “absurd man” (or woman).
In part 2, Camus describes three archetypes of the absurd man: Don Juan, the actor, and the conqueror. He concludes with a reading of Sisyphus as the absurd man.
Camus is essentially right, and I’m not sure how much there is to say here. My only critique is the first part of the book is so philosophically technical it’s almost more of a literature review. It was brutal reading, and I wish he could have gotten to the point a bit sooner. Still, it’s also necessary reading.
High recommendation.
