Out of all existentialism philosophers, Camus left me with an impression. Though, lots of people do not regard him as one, his point of view offers a whole different perspective — as I believe, all of us, have ever wonder the meaning of our existence, at least once.
Unlike Sartre and Heidegger who insist that one have to create meaning of existence for oneself, Camus thinks the world as an “absurd”. Instead of emphasising on the “meaningless” of universe, he believed that the absurdity of world does not exist in our mind or world, but in a presence.
Whether life stripped of its illusions is not worth living
Camus believed that the absurdity of human existence expresses in the form of human suffering and ended with the death. In a way, this might be a reason for us to feel despair and suicide. Camus also answer the solution of Kiekergaard’s faith, as he believed that life is meaningless and all the meaning that we are percieved are nothing but the construct of human mind.
I don’t know whether this world has a meaning that transcends it. But I know that I do not know that meaning, and that it is impossible for me just now to know it. — The Myth of Sisyphus
In this universe, life is everything that happens without the divine plan. Hence, life is absurd.
Then, it comes to the question: If life is an absurd, does it refer to all of us or to the world where we live in?
Camus said, neither of them. Humans are a rational being in the midst of irrational world. The absurdity, is the fact that we keep trying to make meaning out of the universe, presence, to figure out what happens.
He believed, the more you are trying to make the meaning out of it, the more it might slips out of your hand. Furthermore, if we look at the path of life — we are expected to live from the day that we born until the death. Thus, it is normal, at some point, that we might start to asking: why the hell am I living?
Rising, streetcar, four hours in the office or the factory, meal, streetcar, four hours of work, meal, sleep, and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday according to the same rhythm. This path is easily followed most of the time. But one day the “why” arises and everything begins in that weariness tinged with amazement. — The Myth of Sisyphus
Camus believed that we can react in two ways towards this absurdity: live out of it or escape from it. Then, we might ask ourselves: is it wrong to live our life in this absurd and meaningless universe?
I guess, this is what Camus and I agreed on: He regarded the meaningless world as an opportunity to take all “meaning constructions” off, let the reality washes you over. Instead of being in a despair, we might want to see the silver lining of it—the meaningless is actually an opportunity to free ourselves from the blurry hopes, for you to live your life to the fullest.
Because without the judgement of life, we just need to completely focus on this very moment.
Camus does not mean that we should accepting the absurdity either — instead go easy and fight on it. Rebellion is a way to survive.
I guess, though we might powerless in this universe, we are still the pilot of our thoughts and actions. Stop pondering over a meaning, free thou self, go live.
