Philosophical Approach of Albert Camus - Term Paper Example

Camus not only created the challenges with his own philosophies but also displayed them in his fictional works as a perspective that related to the external environment. By showing the understanding of the absurd and the relationship to the external environment with both the philosophical works and the fictional presentation in various plays, Camus was able to challenge the main associations which were in society at the time.
Historical Context of Camus
The historical context of Camus was one of the main associations which were approached with his works. Camus began working on the philosophies with the growth of new innovations and enlightenment in France, as well as revolts that were beginning to occur. This led through World War I and II, specifically which created different perspectives that were associated with the observations of reality and how this was associated with the lifestyle which one had created. Camus is able to base his associations with the external realities, specifically by creating a defined understanding of what is occurring in society. He begins this philosophy from the beginning when he states,
“Newspapers often speak of ‘personal sorrows’ or of ‘incurable illness.’ These explanations are plausible… Let’s not go too far in such analogies, however, but rather return to everyday words. It is merely confessing that this is ‘not worth the trouble.’ Living, naturally, is never easy” (Camus, 4-5).
When examining this particular approach to the work, it can be seen that Camus is able to grasp the different conditions of those in the surrounding environment while responding in the way most necessary. This creates the basis for his philosophies, specifically by responding to the revolts and war of the time, while understanding that the thought processes and alterations that were occurring at the time were based on the absurd. The works of Camus are then able to reflect this, specifically to create a voice that questions the main philosophies of the time.
The Idea of the Absurd
The main approach which Camus represents through his works is that of the absurd, specifically which he points out in The Myth of Sisyphus. Camus defines this with several types of absurd reasoning with which he believes society is occupied. The first is the belief in absurd reasoning. The main belief which Camus creates with the idea of the absurd is based on the understanding that men define and build different concepts as obligations that are not true. He defines absurd reasoning as one which is a combination of the individual creating a belief out of different concepts which are unreasonable or cannot be explained. He combines this with the belief that society creates definitions, expectations, and responses that are absurd and which lead one to believe that the absurd is the truth. The concept of the absurd then comes with the need to identify different actions and beliefs that cannot be described in the main statements of Camus.
“It’s absurd means It’s impossible but also It’s contradictory. If I see a man armed only with a sword attack a group of machine guns, I shall consider his act to be absurd. But it is so solely by virtue of the disproportion between his intention and the reality he will encounter, of the contradiction I notice between his true strength and the aim he has in view”.