Albert Camus, the French Algerian philosopher who is often associated with existentialism but enthusiastically refused the term, is famous for propounding his theory of the Absurd. According to absurdism, there is a fundamental disharmony that arises out of the co-presence of man and the universe. Man has a desire for order, meaning, and purpose in life, but the universe is indifferent and meaningless; the Absurd arises out of this conflict.
As beings looking for hope in a meaningless world, Camus says there are three solutions to this dilemma.
- Suicide: The first solution to the dilemma is simply to end one’s life. Camus rejects this choice as cowardly.
- Religious belief in a transcendent world: Such a belief would posit the existence of a realm that is beyond the Absurd, and, as such, has meaning. Camus calls this solution “philosophical suicide” and rejects it because it amounts to the destruction of reason, which in his view is as fatal as suicide of the body.
- Accept the Absurd: According to Camus, this is the only real solution. It is to accept or even embrace the absurdity of life and to continue living. The Absurd is a crucial characteristic of the human condition, and the only true way to deal with this is bold acceptance of it. Life, according to Camus, can “be lived all the better if it has no meaning.”
