Existentialism, Albert Camus,and The Stranger

Albert Camus (1913 - 1960), a French philosopher of the absurd, novelist, and dramatist

Albert Camus born in Algeria in 1913

Occupied by France settled in Paris and studied

philosophy and literature one of the principal persons of the

existentialist movement Writings affected by the time period,

especially the horrors of WWII Trying to find meaning among death

and destruction

Camus, cont. Work is characterized by simple

plots, effectiveness of dialogue and dramatic effects, extreme of racism, political corruption, the exploitation of women, and, above all, the hypocrisy of life.

Said he was not an existentialist, but his works reflect the philosophy (preferred absurdist)

The Stranger Published in 1942 (in French) Setting: Algiers Main character: Meursault

(mare-sew) The story focuses on what

happens after the death of Meursault's mother

A Poem by Stephen CraneA man said to the universe:“Sir I exist!”“However,” replied the universe,“the fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.”

EXISTENTIALISM“A body of ethical thought centering about the

uniqueness and isolation of individual experience in a universe indifferent or hostile to man, regarding human existence as unexplainable, and emphasizing man’s freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of his acts.”

**Take a minute with a partner and break down this definition. Write your own version of the definition.

What is Existentialism?• Word first appeared in the 1940s• Branch of philosophy based on the situation of

the individual in an absurd/ irrational/meaningless universe

• Humans have free will• People are responsible for their actions and judge

how they affect others.• Belief in no God and no ultimate meaning

• no afterlife; meaning is created by our choices and those of the people around us

• Humans must define their own natures—there is no unifying/universal human nature

BACKGROUNDJean-Paul Sartre, in his lecture “Existentialism and Human

Emotions,” formed the slogan “Existence precedes Essence.” He illustrated this slogan with four points:

1. 1. We have no predetermined nature or essence that controls what we are, what we do, or what is valuable.

2. 2. We are radically free to act independently of determination by outside influences.

3. 3. We create our own human nature through these free choices.

4. 4. We also create our values through these choices.

More Existentialist Themes Identities are constructed by the

individual consciousness only. Values are subjective—no preset

right or wrong. Humanity doesn’t ultimately

matter in the grand scheme of things, but our choices do affect those around us “Good deeds” should be done for

their own merit, not to earn points on a divine scoreboard

Death According to Existentialists Simply put: Life is short, then you die. Death is the

final nothingness. According to Sartre, death is an absurd birth…it is

nothing but the wiping out of my existence as a conscious being.

Death shows the absurdity/ meaninglessness of the human existence.

Moral Individualism There are no universal, objective

standards for right and wrong. Morality is subjective

The individual is responsible for all of the consequences of one’s actions.

Humanity’s primary distinction is the freedom to choose; the choices an individual makes create his or her nature.

Choice is inescapable; even the refusal to choose is a choice.

Emotions and Existentialism

Again, existentialism developed during and after WWII

Anxiety stems from our understanding and recognition of the total freedom of choice that confronts us every moment, and the individual’s confrontation with nothingness.

Alienation and Estrangement from other people, human institutions, from the past and future—we only exist in the here and now

Absurdism The existentialist says that life is

ABSURD Nothing can explain or

rationalize human existence. The efforts of man to find

meaning in this life will fail because life has no identifiable meaning/purpose.

Humans exist in a (possibly) meaningless, irrational universe, and any search for order will bring them into direct conflict with the universe. Discuss: The myth of Sisyphus

“The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” –Albert Camus