#concept-pamphlet #todo: flesh
What is Camus’s view on whether a person should commit suicide? ? In “The Myth of Sisyphus”, Camus opens the essay with the bold statement, “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.” Camus sees suicide as a response to the absurdity of life. The “absurd” in Camus’s philosophy refers to the conflict between our desire for meaning and the apparent meaninglessness of the universe. However, Camus argued against suicide. He believed that it was not a legitimate response to the absurdity of life. Instead, he proposed that one should accept the absurdity, embrace the freedom it brings, and continue to live. He suggested that we should live without hope of finding objective meaning, and instead create our own subjective meaning. In the myth of Sisyphus, Sisyphus is condemned to eternally roll a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time he reaches the top. Camus uses this myth as a metaphor for the human condition. Despite the apparent futility of his task, Sisyphus finds meaning and satisfaction in it. Similarly, Camus suggests that we can find meaning in our own lives, even in the face of the absurd.