The stranger the stranger, written by the algerian writer albert camus, is a novel about meursault, a character whos different and even threatening views on life take him to pay the highest price a person can pay. Albert camus biography 1943 the albert camus society. Albert camus was an extremely handsome mid20th century frenchalgerian philosopher and writer, whose claim to our attention is based on three novels, the outsider 1942, the plague 1947. In camus philosophy, our lives, the school of life points out, are fundamentally on the edge of what he termed the absurd. A principal theme in camus novels is the idea that human life is, objectively speaking, meaningless. Quotations by albert camus, french philosopher, born november 7, 19. Augustine would later serve as the subject of his baccalaureate dissertation and becomeas a fellow north african writer, quasiexistentialist, and conscientious observercritic of his own lifean important lifelong influence. Throughout the novel it is clear that the narrator and protagonist a young man named meursault is the only character that is able to understand and appreciate.
His father worked as a cellarman and his mother was a cleaning woman. Albert camus facts, worksheets, literature, politics, life. Christian metaphysics and neoplatonism 1935 the thesis of camus which would enable him to teach secondary school in france, titled. The absurd philosophy of albert camus presented in a short. They had not yet tackled the abrupt rise leading to the schoolhouse built on the hillside. What does camus mean by the observation that sisyphus is the absurd hero. Albert camus was an extremely handsome mid20th century frenchalgerian philosopher and writer, whose claim to our attention is based on three novels, the outsider 1942, the plague 1947, and the fall 1956, and two philosophical essays, the myth of sisyphus 1942 and the rebel 1951. The myth of sisyphus in albert camuss the meaning of life.
During the years of 19181923, camus attended primary school and met louis germain, who acted as a father to the boy, helping him win a scholarship to high school. In this vibrant, engaging biography of albert camus, the internationally acclaimed author of the stranger, the plague, and the fall, french writer and journalist olivier todd has richly tapped resources never before availablepersonal correspondence, notebooks, public records, as well as exclusive interviews with camuss family, friends, fellow workers, mentors, and lovers. Albert camus was a french philosopher, author, and political journalist. Nov 19, 2014 one of the most beautiful examples of such heartening gratitude comes from albert camus november 7, 19january 4, 1960, a man who had a gift for unlikely friendships and who dedicated his life to learning how to live meaningfully and discerning the meaning of happiness and love. He thought that life had no meaning, that nothing exists that could ever be a source of meaning, and hence there is something deeply absurd about the human quest to find meaning. Titus andronicus albert camus lyrics genius lyrics. The school of life philosophy albert camus he was a nihilist.
Albert camus 19 1960 was a french author and philosopher who won the nobel prize for literature in 1957. Camus finds meaning in life through the nobility or revolting against the absurd, i. He won the nobel prize in literature at the age of 44 in 1957, the secondyoungest recipient in history camus was born in algeria a french colony at the time to french pieds noirs parents. Opinion camus on the coronavirus the new york times. He had to stay away from soccer when he was 17 years due to the tuberculosis. Robert zaretsky like many others of my generation, i first read camus in high school. Camus died in a carcrash, aged just 46, three years after receiving his nobel prize.
Influenced by philosophers such as soren kierkegaard, arthur schopenhauer, and friedrich nietzsche, camus introduces his philosophy of the absurd, that life is inherently devoid of meaning and consequently absurd, but humans. The english translation by justin obrien was first published in 1955. Albert camus was a french algerian philosopher, author, and journalist. As novelist and playwright, moralist and political theorist, albert camus after world war ii became the spokesman of his own generation and the mentor of the next, not only in france but also in europe and eventually the world.
Camus, a talented writer and philosopher, has again risen from the literary ashes. Albert camus, paris, march 1955 for pascal pia o my soul, do not aspire to immortal life, but exhaust the limits of the possible. Albert camus was a frenchalgerian writer best known for his absurdist works, including the stranger and the plague. As a young high school student, camus studied the bible, read and savored the spanish mystics st. Fees and prices information for lycee albert camus, customised to your children ages. A life it was a group opposed to some tendencies of the surrealist movement of andre breton.
Running around this rundown, onehorse town one of these days, theyre gonna crucify me how weary, stale, flat and unprofitable it is to be young, dumb, and have lots of. Essay albert camus, a philosophical school of thought. Albert camus was born on november 7, 19, in mondovi. In 1918, camus began his studies at the local ecole communale. Albert camuss novel the outsider is a fictional narrative that presents strong philosophical themes such as the irrationality of the universe and meaningless of human life. His father died a year after albert was born in the battle of the marne during world war. Apr 16, 2019 albert camus was a frenchalgerian writer best known for his absurdist works, including the stranger and the plague.
With the publication of his massive biography, albert camus. Camus was drawn to his theme because, in his philosophy, we are all unbeknownst to us already living through a plague. Albert camus was an algerianborn, french author and nobel prize winner who contributed greatly to the absurdism philosophy, which states that finding inherent meanng is life is impossible. In january 1941, albert camus began work on a story about a virus that. Mar 09, 2000 in this vibrant, engaging biography of albert camus, the internationally acclaimed author of the stranger, the plague, and the fall, french writer and journalist olivier todd has richly tapped resources never before availablepersonal correspondence, notebooks, public records, as well as exclusive interviews with camus s family, friends, fellow workers, mentors, and lovers. Jul 21, 2016 the school of life philosophy albert camus he was a nihilist. He won the nobel prize in literature at the age of 44 in 1957, the second youngest recipient in history. Thats a question that albert camus dug into in his novels, plays, and essays. Albert camus 7 november 19 4 january 1960 was a french philosopher, author, and journalist. This philosophy is defined through the actions and life of his six characters in his novel the plague. Albert camus biography facts, childhood, family life. Many of the images were provided by catherine camus and are accessible in raymond gaycrosiers albert camus. According to olivier todd, in his biography albert camus, une vie, albert camus. I have read and agree with the terms and conditions and.
The purpose of richard taylors, the meaning of life, is to portray the life of sisyphus in albert camuss, the myth of sisyphus, as a meaningless life, in which taylor portrays as a perfect image of meaninglessness. Rieuxs friend rambert calls him a hero for all his efforts. As a philosophy, absurdism furthermore explores the fundamental nature of the absurd and how individuals, once becoming conscious of the absurd, should respond to it. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. John of the cross, and was introduced to the thought of st. A philosophy webcomic about the inevitable anguish of living a brief life in an absurd world. You can get a primer on camus life, work, and reluctantly existentialist philosophy in the animated school of life video above. Camus attended elementary school at the local ecole communale, and it. Albert camus 191960 albert camus was a frenchalgerian journalist, playwright, novelist, philosophical essayist, and nobel laureate. He spent his childhood in a poor neighbourhood and later studied philosophy at the university of algiers. Albert camus biography list of works, study guides.
Albert camuss beautiful letter of gratitude to his. He was born albert camus on november 7 th, 19, to lucien, an agricultural worker, and his mother, a house cleaner. Why you should read the plague, the albert camus novel the. Albert lived with his father for just eight months, until the outbreak of world war i. The low resolution, thumbnail images on this page are provided for educational purposes only. Lucien was called up and was among the first to be wounded in the battle of marne. Why were fated to feel lost the philosophy of albert camus. Thus, between the years of 19241930, camus was a scholarship student at the university of algiers. He won the nobel prize in literature at the age of 44 in 1957, the secondyoungest recipient in history. Video feature the school of life he argues that we have to live with. His views contributed to the rise of the philosophy known as absurdism and devoted his whole life to opposing the philosophy of nihilism while still delving deeply into individual freedom.
Everybody knows that pestilences have a way of recurring in the world. Camus was born in algeria, a country in north africa. Camus, who felt guilty, withdrew from public life and was slightly depressed for some time. Albert camus was a francoalgerian philosopher with some great insights on the meaning of life, why you should look to this life and not the next, and why suicide is a poor choice. His views contributed to the rise of the philosophy known as absurdism. Thanks to elizabeth hawes delightful and vibrant book, camus, a romance,camus, a romance and robert zaretskys scholarly and insightful tome, albert camus. Pindar, pythian iii the pages that follow deal with an absurd sensitivity that can be found widespread in the ageand not with an absurd philosophy which our time, properly speaking, has not known. In camuss story, sisyphus has committed certain crimes. The absurdist philosopher albert camus stated that individuals should embrace the absurd condition of human existence. Even though he was very poor, he could attend high school after winning a scholarship. Albert camus camu s philosophy albert camus philosophy is often defined as the philosophy of the absurd the idea that life has no rational or real meaning ward, 2005.
Albert camus was born in mondovi, algeria on 7th november 19, the second son of lucien and catherine camus. Albert camus author, journalist, playwright biography. The word camus chooses for this way of life, free of gods direction, is decency. In january 1941, the twentyeight year old french writer albert camus began work on a novel about a virus that spreads uncontrollably from animals to humans. Albert camus used his debut novel, the stranger 1942, as a platform to explore absurdity, a concept central to his writings and at the core of his treatment of questions about the meaning of life. Camus and the plague the book of life the school of life. I carried him in my backpack while traveling across europe, i carried him into and out of relationships, and i carried him. Both the myth of sisyphus and his other philosophical work, the rebel, are systematically skeptical of conclusions about the meaning of life, yet. Albert camus was a francoalgerian writer who preferred not to be called a philosopher. Very soon he caught the attention of his teacher louis germain, who advised him to seek a scholarship so that he could attend secondary school. His writings, which addressed themselves mainly to the isolation of man in an alien universe, the estrangement of the individual. Camus won the nobel prize for literature in 1957 and died at the age of 46. The schoolmaster was watching the two men climb toward him. Camus and the plague the book of life is the brain of the school of life, a gathering of the best ideas around wisdom and emotional intelligence.
Albert camus the stranger essay 1690 words bartleby. Albert camus project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Albert camus was a very great student in his school. He is often associated with the existentialist school of thought, though he preferred to be considered. Our inability to find ultimate meaning to human life can often make everything seem pointless and absurd. As a philosopher familiar with camus thought, id like to highlight the book. One of the most beautiful examples of such heartening gratitude comes from albert camus november 7, 19january 4, 1960, a man who had a gift for unlikely friendships and who dedicated his life to learning how to live meaningfully and discerning the meaning of happiness and love.
Existentialism is a philosophy that is very different from other ways of thinking. A day in the life of albert camus existential comics. Albert camus 7 november 19 4 january 1960 was a french philosopher and writer. In his work, camus addressed topics ranging from alienation to the inadequacy of traditional values. Albert camus was a frenchalgerian journalist and novelist whose literary work is regarded as a primary source of modern existentialist thought. Explain in what way camus believes that sisyphus is representative of our own lives. Absurdism shares some concepts, and a common theoretical template, with existentialism and nihilism. Albert camus albert camus 7 november 19 4 january 1960 was a french nobel prize winning author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century. Albert camus camus philosophy albert camus philosophy is often defined as the philosophy of the absurd the idea that life has no rational or real meaning ward, 2005.
As a philosopher familiar with camus thought, id like to highlight the books main philosophical themes. Albert camus accepts that all our lives are absurd in the grander scheme but, unlike some philosophers, he ends up resisting utter hopelessness or nihilism. A life, todd does some serious unveiling of the algiers slum kid who, at 43, became the second youngest nobel prize winner in history. He is often associated with the existentialist school of.
May 15, 2015 albert camus was an extremely handsome mid20th century frenchalgerian philosopher and writer, whose claim to our attention is based on three novels, the outsider 1942, the plague 1947. Mar 14, 2020 an analysis of albert camus the plague. Albert camus was a french philosopher, author and journalist born in french algeria who played a. How unbearable, for women, is the tenderness which a man can give them without love.