Albert Camus and his Philosophy of the Absurd

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Philosophy 255: Moral Psychology

Albert Camus and his Philosophy of the Absurd

Writer Albert Camus and his philosophy of the absurd present an interesting twist on moral psychology. Whereas classical Western philosophers such as Plato and Socrates argued a moral obligation to "the good life" and the existence of an absolute common human (moral) nature, Camus suggests that life is absurd, and in fact almost meaningless. The only meaning or value he gives to human life is the pure joy of living in a world with which man is connected. He rejects religious belief and existentialism, which in his view serve only to support and even glorify the irrational. He puts forth a moral psychology which involves accepting and even embracing the absurdity of one’s life, and simply living one’s time as fully and intensely as possible. Camus’ s argument maintains that any course of action is acceptable, as long as one faces whatever consequences may follow. This philosophy, and his related works of both fiction and non-fiction, is intriguing in that it is radically different from classical moral psychology and ethics. In order to understand fully the implications of Camus’s philosophy for "the good life," should there be one at all, one must systematically examine all of his writings. No single work can be said to contain the "gist" of Camus’s idea; Camus worked his whole life on developing a constant theme – that of the absurd universe.

To understand these writings, however, one first must understand the time in which they were written, for "to speak of Albert Camus and his time is to separate two entities that are essentially one."

Born November 7, 1913 in Algeria, Albert Camus grew up fatherless and poverty-stricken. His father had died in battle in World War I the year after he was born. Camus was brought up by his mute and illiterate mother, and was never encouraged to read or learn, but in spite of these conditions and his nation’s poverty, he always looked upon his youth in Algeria fondly: "Poverty… was never a misfortune for me: it was radiant with light. I lived on almost nothing, but also in a kind of rapture. It was not poverty that got in my way: in Africa, the sun and the sea cost nothing." His earliest years were spent purely enjoying the sensual pleasures the physical world had to offer. Here he found "nothing on which to hang a mythology, a literature, an ethic, or a religion, but stones, flesh, stars, and those truths the hand can touch." This experience could be considered a precursor to his later philosophy of the absurd, which asserts that there is no god, and in fact nothing outside the realm of actual experience within this known world. There are no truths, he says, outside of the one truth of human experience.

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Camus began his study of philosophy at the University of Algiers in 1930, but this was interrupted by his first serious attack of tuberculosis that year. In the following years he supported himself with odd jobs, had a brief marriage in 1934, and became active in literary and political circles. He joined the Algerian Communist Party but "quickly departed with disillusionment." Soon thereafter began his lengthy career in theater in which he played the roles of actor, director, and playwright. For Camus, theater was a means of serious discussion about life. In this he can be compared to fellow playwrights ...

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