Albert Camus and the Human Condition
Overview
September 20, 2022, 4:00 pmFor generations, Albert Camus has been an existential and moral guide because of his basic belief in the strength of the human spirit.ย This course will explore the foundations of Camusโs thought, focusing on concepts that are central to his vision of the human condition, including the absurd, rebellion, and solidarity.ย We will trace his intellectual and political trajectory from the interwar period, through the Second World War, and the early Cold War era.ย In doing so, we will better understand how Camus became one of the most celebrated writers and public intellectuals of the twentieth century, and why his writing is so relevant for our times.
Recommended Reading:
By Albert Camus:
The Stranger
The Plague
The Myth of Sisyphusย (essay)
โThe Human Crisisโ (essay)
Exile and the Kingdomย (short story collection)
The Cambridge Companion to Camus, by Edward J. Hughes
Albert Camus: A Biography, by Herbert Lottman
Albert Camus: A Life, by Olivier Todd
Discussion Questions:
- How have you experienced the absurd, as defined by Camus?
- Camusโs thought is very much at the intersection of the political and the philosophical.ย How can Camusโs vision of the human condition be applied to our present circumstances?
- Are there other thinkers you have studied who are comparable to Camus?ย Who are they, and how are they comparable?