Hello Pville Philosophy Clubbers,...
Sorry we're late to post this month. We had a house move, a dog escape, a french press break, and a bug attack to deal with. More of an excuse than a justification. Alas, as follows is some solid wiki-starter material to embrace and discuss. Hopefully, everyone had an opportunity to read Camus this past month, but if not, it's still a great subject to discuss. Without further delay,...the absurd:
In the essay, Camus introduces his philosophy of the absurd: man's futile search for meaning, unity and clarity in the face of an unintelligible world devoid of God and eternal truths or values. Does the realization of the absurd require suicide? Camus answers: "No. It requires revolt." He then outlines several approaches to the absurd life. The final chapter compares the absurdity of man's life with the situation of Sisyphus, a figure of Greek mythology who was condemned to repeat forever the same meaningless task of pushing a rock up a mountain, only to see it roll down again. The essay concludes, "The struggle itself...is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
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The theory of the absurd is an interesting theme in philosophy. Kierkegaard, for instance, draws attention to the absurd in order to argue for individuality against the Hegelian ethical imperative to reveal all and avoid any privacy. Acts that appear absurd are not necessarily unjustifiable. One can act in an eccentric, divergent, or abnormal way and nonetheless be justified and ethical despite what Hegel might assert. The issue for Kierkegaard, and later for Derrida in "Whom to give to, knowing not to know," is that one may be called upon to act against the community's and even one's own desires. Such is the nature of sacrifice. One cannot sacrifice what one hates, then it's not a sacrifice. One must sacrifice what one loves. Sometimes we must do the absurd... we are called to sacrifice something valued and do so in secret or else one might be deterred or stopped because one is not or can not be understood.
ReplyDeleteBut what endless tortures could one enjoy? Consider torturing yourself endlessly in reality. Good luck finding joy in a way other than death. Idealistic thoughts might make one think it possible. Do real experiences of trauma not teach us that those so tortured prefer death, begging "kill me" to whoever may bear witness to such horror?
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