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

• settled in Paris and studied philosophy and literature

• one of the principal persons of the existentialist movement

• writings often considered controversial

• Writings affected by the time period, especially the horrors of WWII

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 American life.

A Poem by Stephen Crane

A 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.”

What is Existentialism?What is Existentialism?•The word first appeared in 1941

•Branch of philosophy based on the situation of the individual in an absurd or meaningless universe where humans have free will

•Existentialists argue that people are responsible for and the sole judge of their actions as they affect others.

•Individuals must not allow their choices to be constrained by ANYTHING -- not even reason or morality. One has the ultimate freedom to choose, which leads to the notion of nonbeing, or nothingness

BACKGROUND

Sartre, in his lecture “Existentialism and Human Emotions,” formed the slogan “Existence precedes Essence.” He illustrated this slogan with four points:

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

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

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

4) We also create our values through these choices.

The Basic Existentialist Standpoint:

• Existence precedes essence.– Essence: the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing or its

significant individual feature or features– Man exists without a predetermined purpose

• Man is a conscious subject rather than a thing to be predicted or manipulated.

• Man exists as a conscious being, and not in accordance with any definition, generalization, or system.

More Existentialist Themes

• Identities are constructed by the individual consciousness only.

• Values are subjective- no preset right or wrong.

• We are all condemned to be free.

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 of the human existence.

Moral Individualism

• There are no universal, objective standards for right and wrong.

• No objective, rational basis exists for moral decisions.

• The individual must decide which situations are to count as moral situations.

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

Choice and Commitment

• 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.

• Freedom of choice involves commitment; one must accept the risk and responsibility of following that commitment.

Absurdity• The doctrine that human beings live in essential

isolation in a meaningless and irrational world.• Absurdists do not believe suicide is the answer.

You should choose to make the most of what you have while you’re living.

• I am my own existence, but…this existence is absurd.

• The human situation is ambiguous, rather than rational or something that can be understood or explained.

• Existentialists usually believe in the absurd.