Albert Camus · Philosophy

The Absurd: A Confrontation, Not a Verdict

Camus&rsquo;s founding idea. The absurd is not a flaw in the world (which is merely silent) nor a defect in us (we merely want meaning); it is the <em>collision</em> between the two - our hunger for sense meeting a universe that returns no answer. Absurdity is a relation, not a property of either side alone.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that for Camus the absurd is a relation . The world in itself is not absurd, only silent and indifferent; the mind is not absurd, only hungry for clarity. The absurd is the friction where the two meet. Explain in your own words why this makes the absurd a confrontation rather than a verdict about things.

Leads to The Preacher (Ecclesiastes).

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