The Myth of Sisyphus

- We live our lives as if we're not aware of the certainty of death that we will meet into the end of it.

- Science and Metaphysics only explained the world descriptively. Any interpretation in attempt in "making sense" in our life will end up in meaningless abstraction.

- The true knowledge and rationality cannot truly explain the world or give meaning to it.

Albert Camus set three possible response on dealing with the absurd:

Suicide (Physical Suicide)

Philosophical Suicide

Confronting the Absurd

Albert Camus rejected Physical Suicide. For him absurd cannot exist if there is no man. And taking away your own life is not true revolt.

Many other philosophers attempt to deal with the absurd. Here are their concept:

Heidegger's emphasize the reliance on existential authenticity.

Karl Jaspers emphasizing authenticity and transcendence.

Kierkegaard's advocates leap of faith.

For Camus, this is a form of philosophical suicide and it is self-destructive as physical suicide. Those concept attempt to escape and seek refuge in metaphysical concept rather than confronting the absurd.

He states that this is the only valid option on dealing with the Absurd.

It is simple, just accept absurdity, or embrace it, and continue living. You are no longer bound by hope for a better future you do not need to pursue life's purpose or to create meaning. You just live with the absurd.

Camus arrives at three consequences from fully acknowledging the absurd: revolt, freedom, and passion.

After accepting the absurd, there is a new philosophical questions and that is "How should the Absurd Man live?"

Camus gives some representations on how do we live a life like an Absurd Man:

Don Juanism

The Actor

The Conqueror

The Legendary libertine Don Juan, represents the pursuit of pleasure and sensual experiences as a way to deny the inherent meaninglessness of life. Don Juan seeks distraction in romantic conquests and fleeting pleasures to confront the absurd.

The Actor represents an individual who immerses themselves in various character roles and personas. Those mask (roles) help them to become detached to the absurdity of existence.

The conqueror is the individual who seeks to overcome the absurd through power, achievements, or conquests. He chooses action over contemplation, aware of the fact that nothing can last and no victory is final.

Camus examines the artist or maker. Absurd art is limited to describing the multitude of experiences in the world because meaning is unattainable. Of course, absurd creativity must also abstain from judgment and from hinting at the tiniest glimmer of optimism to the world.

He also explores the writing of Fyodor Dostoevsky, it represents absurd creation and use the premise of absurdism as his starting point.

Camus used Sisyphus as Metaphor for the human condition in a absurd world. Sisyphus is condemned by the gods to endlessly rolls a boulder uphill, only for it to roll back down. Camus argues that embracing the absurdity and finding meaning in the struggle itself is essential to confront the absurdity of human existence.

The Absurdity with Hope is Kafkaesque

At the essay "Hope and the Absurd in the work of Franz Kafka". Camus acknowledge the idea of Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis and The Trial are novellas of Kafka that represent the themes of absurdity in human existence. But he claims that Kafka fails as an absurd writer because his work retains a glimmer of hope in absurdity.