1. Albert Camus 1913-1960 Born in French Algeria Member of the French Resistance Playwright and Philosopher 1

2. Works Include: The Myth of Sisyphus: 1942 The Stranger: 1942 The Plague: 1947 The Fall: 1956 Exile and the Kingdom: 1957 2

3. Absurdity and Suicide Why suicide? No meaning to life No meaning to your life “Man can handle any how if he has a why” 3

4. The Myth of Sisyphus A Philosophical Theory A Vision of “The Absurd” 4

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6. The Absurd Life does not make sense Life is futile Life has no meaning Nothing we do will last 6

7. Who was Sisyphus? According to Greek Mythology Sisyphus was King of Corinth Very sly and crafty Betrayed Zeus’ secret abduction of River God’s daughter 7

8. Zeus sentenced him to: Pushing a rock up a hill And when Sisyphus got the rock to the top of the hill it would roll back down For Eternity 8

9. Who does Sisyphus Represent? Someone who spends his entire life in futile labor All of us! Nothing could be more absurd than a lifetime of futility 9

10. The Absurd according to Camus Camus defines “the absurd” as a confrontation between “rational” human beings and an “indifferent” universe 10

11. Despite our hopes and expectations for justice for salvation for peace and harmony the world does not deliver or care 11

12. Doesn’t Death Make Life Absurd? Many have argued this point But Sisyphus is immortal An eternity of futility is more absurd than a mere lifetime of futility Death, then, is a kind of blessing 12

13. Reflection, Reason and the Absurd Self-reflecting is actually the basis for the absurd 13

14. Example An insect does a task innumerable times A machine does a task innumerable times A person does a task innumerable times –But at some point reflects upon the ultimate significance of the task 14

15. Interpretations of Sisyphus 1. He devotes himself to his labor Tries not to reflect on the absurdity of his situation Gets meaning from his task! 15

16. Interpretations of Sisyphus 2. He realizes his fate and yet carries on He enjoys what he can The moments he realizes he’s alive He is happy 16

17. The Meaning of Life? Life is its own meaning Ultimately, only personal experience is meaningful You must get meaning from your own life 17