The Stranger by Albert Camus | Book Discourse

[@ivanppillay914]

By far the best video I've seen on "The Stranger". No intellectual fancy-footwork, here, or getting entangled in a thicket of heavy-duty explications; just a sincere attempt to convey meaning in an accesible way to the reader. Thank you TBP.

[@benquinneyiii7941]

Purpose

[@mrbeast6538]

best review about this book by far, love the philosophical approach!

[@rspld]

i've consumed a lot of existencialist works through life and i'm deeply attracted to it, funnily enough i'd never read camus til recently because it just seemed like the obvious thing to do. while i still think the writing it's pretty normal, nothing bad but nothing genius either i went out of that book mad, found the static state the character takes while embracing this meaningless state of life annoying, however your video made me realise something i already suspected: i didn't fully understand the book; and just now after hearing your thoughts i find myself actually liking it which is amazing. thank you so much for this video! i'm really glad i came across your channel :) (also, one thing i took about the book and /was/ my favorite thing about this work was seeing the story as a summerazed reflection of how not playing by the rules ends in condemn)

[@Ahmed-hd4lr]

“i opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world” is one of my favorite lines in any book

[@guillermoluciano-ho3og]

Awesome Review!!!!! Just finished reading it and your video really helped in wrapping up the ideas presented in the book. Also its impressive how you were able to do it without droning on or spoiling it. Easily one of the best book reviews ive seen and definitley the best one ive seen regarding the stranger. Well done good sir! Absolutely great book and wishing u many blessings and good luck on your endeavors.

[@reflectionsonliterature804]

This is the best discussion of The Stranger I've seen so far! Everything makes sense. Thank you! I was wondering why I didn't accept that the book was only about existentialism, because it seemed like then it didn't have a point, since life is meaningless. It's obvious, there's no need to write a book about it. But having in mind that other people also had their own meaning and were constantly using it as their basis for life lead to them not understanding each other. Which is life and something we all need to realise and think about, it's the basis of most conflicts. So, I'm glad you made me see just how universal the book is ☺️ Though, of course no matter your own beliefs, I believe that some things are inherently wrong. Things that affect other people in a negative way, so it's not just "let everyone live life the way they want to", I don't think you or Camus meant that, it gives complexity to the book. Sure we should let everyone live their life the way they want, but when it starts affecting other people negatively, then we have a problem. Great food for thought 😊

[@anniewestervelt5915]

I loved your discussion, it made everything about this book much clearer for me

[@alelialeli2001]

Thank you so much. I did not understand this book tha same as you when you read this fisrt time ;) but your explanation helps me to understand it. I've always been on my own way despite what other people think and I've always had to fight for my own thoughts and the right to do things my own way. So that is quite obvious for me but still I did not understand the book and I thought it was a bad book haha Thanks to you now I know what it was about and I still do not like the book the way it is written but the message it gives people it is sooooo important Thanks a lot for this video! All the best from Poland :)

[@invsma6415]

Thank you so much! Your video opened my eyes and helped look at this book from a new perspective. I didn’t get the whole point and genius of it until I watched your video! I really started thinking and analyzing everything. You really made it simple get the meaning of the book. So really thank you!!!!

[@emmyfreudenrich4646]

wow, this sounds like it really is applicable to my personal philosophy. I'll definitely pick up this book and I'm looking forward to reading it!

[@migi3976]

I actually just read The Stranger as my first philosophical reading, I read it three times and your analysis has definitely helped me solidify my understanding!

[@overdoneskeleton]

I love this video! It’s great because a lot of people use the idea of absurdism to do whatever they want, but the book shows the fact that consequences are still going to happen and if you truly are absurdist you won’t be surprised or argue against that fact. The main character has the ability to think through others as he’s shown with his boss.

[@overdoneskeleton]

I’d be so interested in a breakdown of Marie’s character motivations, considering she was there for like 80% of the drama and is clearly greatly moved by the violence, yet….. marriage? Very interesting. Nothing in the text shows that she needs anything monetarily from him, he doesn’t have especially high social standing. lol anyway, great book to look into, this video really has me thinking

[@maddysullivan5305]

I like watching other people's point of views when I finish a book, yours was super interesting! The stranger is great.

[@jesuismanu]

I really loved this review and pondering and philosophising on this book. It gave me some new interesting perspectives. Thanks!

[@firehop8]

this was a great video. Thank you for making it!!

[@michellelin6824]

Thanks for the video! Just finished The Stranger last night. Your video definitely cleared a lot of things up for me!!

[@lauraeastwood9096]

Fantastic discussion! Entertaining, intelligent and accessible - thanks. This book was definitely one of my favourite reads.

[@vitorhugz]

What do you think about the robotic lady and the journalist attending his trial (the one who seems to get Mersault's attention just by staring)? Do they have some meaning in the story? Why did the robotic lady attended his trial? Why did Mersault payed any attention to these two people in particular, one of them which he had never seen before?

[@theblackponderer]

Honestly, I don't remember those characters. They must have not stood out to me. My guess is that they were only side characters used to flesh out the main characters' state of mind.

[@boatwreks]

The Black Ponderer that doesn’t make sense. I don’t know what that character symbolizes but it was definitely a specific reason. It was referenced specifically multiple times. I was wondering this also

[@HEATHENS5074]

@@boatwreks have you found the answer? If so, then do let me know too

[@ABC-wq4ie]

@@HEATHENS5074I’ve heard some say that the journalist is supposed to be Camus himself, who worked as a journalist in Algeria.

[@MyDrawing2018]

Great analysis, you described exactly what I thought when I read this book.

[@jimisru]

The first existentialist book I read and it profoundly affected my life.

[@SaraLevins]

I read it when i was 17. Im 22 now and i think about it almost every day lol it’s my favourite book ever!

[@pantoleonantonio9653]

it's absurdist, not existentialist. But yeah, same it's truly profound

[@bobthabuilda1525]

@@pantoleonantonio9653 I know Albert Camus didn't like being called an existentialist, but he just was. It's the same philosophy

[@HEATHENS5074]

@@bobthabuilda1525 this ^

[@bhairvireads]

@@HEATHENS5074 Same

[@damon7972]

High quality content, instant subscriber

[@chriswalker7632]

Thanks for this. I only became interested in Camus just this last week. I haven't read the book so far. I have just been listening to people's points of view (I was glad to listen to your summary). I am fairly new to philosophy I guess. So far I have only gone through a world wind tour of philosophy to get an idea of the landscape. Part of me wonder's if there is a point to it - seeing as I can look into science for theories of anxiety using neuroscience, or look at something like entropy for a reason for structure in the universe etc... (I have come to philosophy and the other humanities last basically :P). At the same time though, while I have serious concerns about existentialism and nihilism (though I am not anything to do with what those were rebelling against), I find they are very good avenues for self-reflection and teasing things out. I am intrigue by the main character of "The Stranger" as, despite the ramblings I could make about biology of how we can't help, on an emotional level, to react to people and things in pretty predictable ways - and so form our meaningless constructs I guess to justify ourselves around. I get the sense of I'll find a lot about myself in the main character. Also, it seems he fears death towards the end. So maybe the story has an ironic twist. I am generally getting more interested in contemporary (post-extistentialist I suppose) philosophy. I am not wet behind the ears though as I am pretty half way through life - I am more intersted in what experts have to say than exploring the absurd myself... I've seen Arnie's 80's film "Predator". I know what it's about. :D cheers!

[@ilqar887]

Best thing about this is book is that it is only 126 pages but the effect of it is like 500 pages book

[@user53110]

very down to earth and accurate understanding of the book, thank you for your interesting thoughts and commentary! :)) however, i would counter in saying that the book does not pose Meursault in a particularly positive, or correct light. he is very much an atheist and nihilist, he only wants short term pleasure; like smoking, or kissing Marie. he gets into the trouble he does from not being able to accept the unpleasant things in life: for example, the sun irritates him so badly when the [SPOILER] arab takes a knife out, that he proceeds to kill the man. this, is what is wrong about what he does. he only accepts the pleasant and acts irrationally when presented with the unpleasant. i believe that is what makes Meursault so inherently wrong

[@leal9910]

Gerar video, man! You manage to bring good content in a light hearted manner, keep it up!

[@ianbanerji]

Man this review was awesome. Looking forward to seeing reviews on Somerset Maugham books

[@konyewest4937]

great video. enjoyed the interesting perspective of this book as a christian. how you classify your personal beliefs?

[@theblackponderer]

Thanks for watching! I'm also a Christian.

[@konyewest4937]

@@theblackponderer Just found your channel as Ive been getting into philosophy and ancient history. Glad you’re still replying and making videos. Keep going bro!

[@jimenarueda1854]

Amazing discussion!!

[@SculptExpress-gv8jp]

Excellent, thank you!

[@jacksonallison3605]

I learn so much from every video you make, keep up the good work!!

[@christopherwarner4429]

Hi, Neal! I know this is out of place... I have written a short essay( less than 2 pages) on "the meaning of life" and I was wandering if you could give me your thoughts on it, that would mean a lot. Let me know if I should paste it here! I would totally understand no for an answar, thanks!

[@theblackponderer]

I mean, I’m a Christian so I believe Jesus explains the meaning of life quite succinctly in the New Testament.

[@christopherwarner4429]

@@theblackponderer lately I ve seriously considered researching christianity:)) . Could you reccomend me any good apologetic book I could look into ??

[@theblackponderer]

@@christopherwarner4429 I’d start with the Bible, particularly the gospels.

[@christopherwarner4429]

@@theblackponderer Already done that. Any apologetic book, facts? Edit. Besides the ones in the bible:)

[@theblackponderer]

@@christopherwarner4429 C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity” is a great Christian apologetics text.

[@LuisPerez-tx5jo]

I struggle with this. On the one hand I do feel or at least empathise with Mersault’s meaninglessness (for example his outlook on marriage/love or even religion). In the grand scheme, these social constructs can seem pointless. However, on the other hand I struggle with the nihilistic nature of this philosophy on two fronts….Deciding to see the meaninglessness or absurdity of society seems to be a way of adding meaning to your life, a very nihilistic and low meaning of life. Might as well have a more positive meaning although it seems paradoxical with this philosophy. Second, when it comes to murder, it’s just seems plain wrong even if society has constructed this morality, you cannot take someone’s life away because you not only take too much from the victim, you also take too much away from yourself. This is why I felt so sorry for Mersault.

[@theblackponderer]

Yeah, the killing someone just because he felt like it vibe is pretty bad. I understand it was a self defensive move but it didn't have to end in the protagonist killing the dude just because "it was a sweltering day." That was wrong on the protagonist's part. On the other hand, the point of the book is not a nihilistic one. Nihilism is a kind of surrender to an idea of meaninglessness. But the protagonist doesn't surrender. Yes, in his mind, the protagonist believes life is inherently meaningless but he doesn't just throw his hands in the air and say, "oh well, fuck it." Rather he constructs his own code of morals, a kind of amorality, or in other words, he creates his own meaning, a meaning of amorality. That's the key message of this book. The point is not to slip into nihilism because of life's inherent meaninglessness, rather life's inherent meaningless gives one the freedom to construct one's own meaning. To be nihilistic is to reject that freedom.

[@LuisPerez-tx5jo]

@@theblackponderer thank you. Yes I think I was confusing nihilism. It helps to understand nihilism as a surrender or an inaction. Whereas Meursault does take action and a stance, just not the one we/society expects him to. However, I reread the shooting scene and interestingly there are two phrases in my translation that stand out; “the matter was closed and I ended up here by chance” (on the beach). “All I had to was to turn around and walk away and it would all be over. But an entire beach pulsating with sun pressed me to go on.” Could it be that Camus intended to show that Meursault only started to take control or create meaning to his life once his freedom had been taken away and he was condemned to death? Whereas when he was free he didn’t create meaning and therefore was unable to grieve for his mum and also killed the Arab because it was too hot! I think I finally cracked it in what this novel means for me :-)

[@theblackponderer]

@@LuisPerez-tx5jo The protagonist was already expressing his amoral meaning before the confrontation at the beach. Recall the discussion he had with his girlfriend regarding his personal rejection of the social significance of marriage. He was expressing his freedom then too.

[@narjesfe9825]

Great video! I really enjoyed it.

[@SlugSage]

How would you feel if your friends decide to get married at some point?

[@theblackponderer]

As I said in the video, I personally think marriage is great. I have married friends and their marriage makes them happier. However, I also have divorced friends who probably shouldn't have gotten married in the first place. I don't think marriage is for everyone, but for many people it's great.

[@SlugSage]

+The Black Ponderer I wasn't really asking about you opinion of marriage overall, I was trying to get your thoughts on the unmarried couple in particular. Would it be a betrayal of their present principles if they choose to get married at some point. (Disclaimer: I just making conversation)

[@theblackponderer]

J H. Booth I see. Well, based on the concepts presented in The Stanger, there really isn't a such thing as betrayal of principles because ultimately principles are meaningless. So based off of that if the particular couple got married later on, it wouldn't make any difference. I personally wouldn't consider a decision to get married later on a betrayal of principles since I believe personal meaning can change over time. So if they did change their desire later on and wanted to get married but didn't based on some notion of "principles" that would actually be more of a betrayal than actually getting married. It would be a betrayal of their personal meaning.

[@madisonmo16]

Really enjoyed this review!

[@yuk2k]

Great breakdown!

[@AliannaDeters]

Thank you!

[@alalarcon3605]

Do you not see the irony of a person giving you a book about not influencing others or for that matter even writing a book about the same conclusion. Can't wait to read it.

[@theblackponderer]

Well, the irony is in large part lost because the person who gave me the book refused to answer questions I had about the book, or rather responded to my questions with more questions. Likewise, the writer of the book asks more questions to the reader than provide answers. So, the novel is more of an exercise of "self-influencing" by encouragement of critical thinking.

[@alalarcon3605]

Thanks for the reply. Awesome!

[@nahummaru1241]

love the video man

[@lenaslife]

Thank you for sharing all this insight!! :D

[@anthonygloria5192]

Have you read Islamic philosophers like Avicenna, Averroes, Al-Ghazali, or Ibn Taymiyyah?

[@theblackponderer]

Nope

[@anthonygloria5192]

The Black Ponderer You should check them out. Especially Averroes, he is considered a great commentator of Aristotle.

[@theblackponderer]

I sure will!

[@luffydragneel5635]

Hey man did you notice any benefits that reading can affect your life?

[@theblackponderer]

The act of reading, on its own, doesn't really provide much benefit in my opinion. It really depends on what you're reading and what you want to get out of the reading experience. Reading can be very educational and expose you to all types of new ideas and perspectives, but only if you're reading books that offer that kind of thing and only if you're receptive to learn.

[@sashamaxim]

My God, I never understood this book until you explained it! And I'm an avid reader. I didn't understand the point Camus was making. Still doesn't resonate with me though. Perhaps I need to ponder it more... like you Mr. Ponderer. Lol.

[@adambaxter664]

great book! enjoyed the video. Thanks a lot

[@grassic]

I just read The Fall, would love to see you do that too

[@ilqar887]

Almost life changing ..that book made me 10 times more humble

[@sagarladhwani4287]

Good job, quite relatable!

[@chuckt9630]

Mr. Thomas is the Man!

[@flavianadel7150]

Great video, the stranger is a great book.

[@ivanppillay914]

"The Stranger" reminds me in many ways of Shakespeare's, "Hamlet" (possibly, one of the greatest philosophical works ever written). Probing beyond the surface structure of the text; ie. mining the depths of the sub-text allows the reader to make useful discoveries. When the leading character tells us as the trial begins: "And I had the odd impression of being watched by myself", we are entering upon a new level of consciousness. The multiple layers of consciousness is key to this novella. Considering the novel in its totality, I would argue that life is not meaningless for the protaganist.

[@TheReddkatt]

loved your video, thanks

[@medwatt]

I am half-way through this book and I'm really disturbed by the main character's indifference towards things. From what I've been reading, it seems if someone suggests to him to help ISIS, he might even say, 'Why not? Who cares.' I'm not too fond of him and I find it hard that anyone is able to tolerate him. He seems to be commenting too much about the Sun's glare, yet enjoys swimming in sunny days. I'm not really sure he understands what he likes and what he doesn't.

[@theblackponderer]

I think the main character would consider ISIS foolish because he would see them as desperately trying to find meaning in the meaningless. Radical fundamental religious belief is a typical example atheistic existentialists use to justify their philosophy. I think the main character would view ISIS as people unable to accept the cruel reality which existence's inherent meaninglessness has brought to their life and as a result use religion desperately as a coping mechanism, keeping them in denial.

[@medwatt]

Then why did he opt (or accepted) to try to defend (or fight for) a man (Raymond) who was trying to teach his girlfriend's brother a lesson ? Wouldn't he (the protagonist) have considered that illogical too ? In his own world view, isn't it just simpler to substitute one woman for another ? I also think he killed the Arab guy in cold -blood and the prosecution was right to argue that it was premeditated. Why ? When he went down to the beach again and saw the Arab guy and noticed he had a knife, he could have simply walked back. Instead, he went closer, antagonized the guy, who only had a knife. Not to mention he 'had to shoot four more times' to make sure the guy was dead. Then he blamed it all on the heat ? I think he was a pathological psychopath and he didn't know it and that makes his narration unreliable.

[@theblackponderer]

He very well could be a psychopath. He certainly has psychopathic tendencies. However, I think that the author had a clear message that he was trying to convey and he was using the main character as a means to demonstrate that message. This kind of book is not very character driven, it's all about the philosophy, so I don't think the unreliable narrator technique was used. Rather the character's only purpose is to communicate the philosophical theme that life is inherently meaningless and people create meaning only as a coping mechanism to deal with that reality.

[@medwatt]

In this video you talked about people forming their own beliefs to find meaning in life ? The question is how can you live in peace if you have no idea of proving your beliefs are true ? That is also the same as how strong are your beliefs ? I, personally, find it extremely hard in developing strong beliefs for anything, and part of this is because I was brought up in a world that appealed to aspects of mysticism (religion). How can we conclusively know that such a realm is not a human construction if the concept of a 'leap of faith' is considered philosophical suicide ? Are you such a persons with beliefs as strong as the protagonist ?

[@theblackponderer]

No, I disagree with the message of the book. I'm very religious, a devout Christian. The reality is, however, that many people in the world share the protagonist's point of view.

[@ignorantinformer]

dude great video

[@TheBlackFenceCat]

Love your reviews.

[@danielkibira4064]

Let me project my meaning onto you 🤣 I think you will enjoy reading William Styron's DARKNESS VISIBLE. Okay concerning existentialist novels here's an alternative list for you to sample or digest THE MOVIEGOER by Walker Percy, NAKED LUNCH by William S. Burroughs. 🙌🏾Barakha✊🏾🌾 Salema 🙏🏾💯

[@abhimanuek.s4377]

So is the Albert Camus raising here is the inability of the Mersault to find the meaning of life

[@theblackponderer]

No. Camus is saying that you can create whatever kind of meaning to life that you want or none at all because life is inherently meaningless.

[@dant5349]

I think you're wrong that the book suggests that it's acceptable to create your own meaning within yourself. I think Camus and other existentialists would see doing so as lying to yourself in order to distract yourself from the reality of the Absurd. Good video though.

[@theblackponderer]

Well, I think the book is more suggesting that it only matters what other people do if it has a direct impact on you. So if someone is lying to themselves and that action has no meaningful effect on yourself then it ultimately doesn't matter since life is Absurd and therefore such an act is acceptable. It only becomes unacceptable when their lie has an adverse effect on you. But if they're just minding their own business with their lie and keeping to themselves then it really shouldn't matter to you.

[@dant5349]

@@theblackponderer Fair enough. It doesn't really matter, since it doesn't apply to the Absurdist themselves. Although, most of the time, it seems that such beliefs *do* have and adverse effect on others i.e. most forms of Christianity and Islam see it as their duty to regulate the morality of others, for instance, with laws against homosexuality. The belief not being harmful is more of the exception than the rule, as Camus demonstrates with the Catholic police officer and the priest. But you make a fair point. Have you read any other of Camus' work?

[@theblackponderer]

Yes, the reality that the lie not being harmful is more the exception than the rule is one of the major themes of "The Stranger." I have read Camus' "The Myth of Sisyphus" and "The Plague." I'll eventually make videos about those texts.

[@dant5349]

@@theblackponderer I'll look forward too it!

[@HipHop226]

Great review, black man

[@matthafer2415]

When you said camussssss, I subscribed immediately

[@bon12121]

I LAUGHED SO HARD. I haven't read this book, but when you read that quote 'do you want my life to be meaningless?' HAHAHA, I need you to believe in God so that my life is not meaningless. That is hilarious. And sad.

[@bon12121]

Out of interest I have a uncle and aunt who have been together for over 35 years without being married. They have 6 kids. (single, triplets, twins)

[@manjapetrov7358]

I was exhausted within 3 minutes of watching this

[@theblackponderer]

Gotta work on that stamina

[@manjapetrov7358]

@@theblackponderer right after you work on storytelling skills

[@theblackponderer]

@@manjapetrov7358 Okay, let's build our skills together.

[@hammeringhank5271]

I remember I cracked up when I read the section on marriage and religion. The way the protagonist and reacts so nonchalantly in contrast to the characters around him and the supposedly pivotal situations he's in is kinda hysterical. Other than that I can't really say it's a great book. It feels like it goes no where and the motivation makes no since. I know that's kinda the whole point of the philosophy of Absurdism, but it's hard to say something was a great read when you have nothing to show for it.

[@theblackponderer]

Hammering Hank I hear ya. The book is famous definitely not for its storyline but rather the ideas it tackles. If you're a reader that prefers engaging plots or complex characters then I'd hesitate to recommend this book. But if you prefer wrestling with complex ideas and themes, this is the book for you.

[@EatTheSkis]

Nice video. My favorite thing about this book was that throughout, I kept having to remind myself not to feel too sorry for the narrator because he did indeed commit a cold murder. My sympathy lied within his struggle to cope with the verdict as I felt like I would reason the same way as him in the same situation. #420

[@aroojafzal3400]

Great work👏👏... Respect from Pakistan ❤

[@adrianaribeiro2069]

I really like your review, but the video shakes so much and it has so many cuttings, that make it tiring to watch.

[@theblackponderer]

My bad. Thanks for however long you watched.

[@SlugSage]

You almost lost me at 29 seconds in lol.....

[@eyoelgashaw5089]

i feel you bro

[@judeh5704]

wym

[@erickcalderon9249]

@@judeh5704 bc of how he pronounces 'Camus' at first

[@mirasaladi2936]

I also used to pronounce kahmoos

[@dante666jt]

Back when KZbin was original

[@hesterdunlop7948]

Fantastic explanation. Am currently reading The Bible again, arguably the most widely read book that helps people create meaning, and this novel has been a super helpful counterpoint. In my opinion both are masterpieces..its interesting that The Stranger has no family he relates to and The Bible is all about family.... I think that needing meaning can also translate into needing to belong, seeking others with the same belief system.... Most of the human wrangles in The Bible are about whose meaning is right, an argument that continues to this day...

[@arvinmalabanan8321]

Creating your own meaning is so boring. We only know very few things. It's more interesting to know God, Whom is beyond everything.

[@theblackponderer]

Well, God is incomprehensible so our knowledge of God is very limited. We can certainly form a meaningful and personal relationship with God but to actually know God is ultimately a creation formed from our own very limited comprehension of God.

[@arvinmalabanan8321]

@@theblackponderer, I agree that in this life, we can't know God directly. We know Him through His creation. Although He revealed Himself in the Catholic Religion, and this life is the preparation in seeing God face to face in heaven, which can happen, because our nature will be elevated, for we will share in His Divine Nature, by being sons and daughters of God the Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, God and Man, through the Holy Spirit, the Love between the Father and the Son. In that case, this is where the most interesting of all. And to miss that Divine Filiation is one and only tragedy of life. It's hell.

[@theblackponderer]

@@arvinmalabanan8321 We are creation. To know God is to be that creation. Our existence is creation. Our own creation is the creation of God. When we develop our own meaning that is true to ourselves what we are doing is discovering our created being from God. In this way we develop spiritually. Spiritual development is the reason we are on Earth; finding the truth of ourselves from God through creating or manifesting that truth.

[@ewkettube5048]

I liked you and thank you for the video but I can not imagine an 18 minute book review of 'The Stranger' where the word 'rebel' is not mentioned, not even once.

[@theblackponderer]

Please elaborate. Why should the word 'rebel' be used?

[@ewkettube5048]

@@theblackponderer I say that because the foundation of his philosophy as portrayed in his books including this one is that life is inherently meaningless and our existence is absurd, and he argued that man should be aware of this absurdity and still survive in metaphysical rebellion. Even if there is no meaning, we should survive and live as happily as possible as a rebel despite the absurdity of our existence. Thank you.

[@theblackponderer]

@@ewkettube5048 So it's a rebellion against meaningless. Sure, I can see that. However, I prefer to use language that describes Camus's message in a more creative light. For Camus, it wasn't enough to just rebel against The Absurd to live a happy life. Just being aware and accepting The Absurd can make happiness even more elusive. The question is "how should one rebel?" To find happiness despite The Absurd one needs to create their own meaning. What is also necessary is that this created meaning must be constructive. In other words, this meaning must be progressively productive. So to oppose The Absurd we must create. It is not possible to live happily in rebellion that only results in destruction.

[@ewkettube5048]

@@theblackponderer According to my understanding of Camus, he never said or at least never promoted the idea that we should create our own productive meanings. He said there is no meaning to life and we can not make one too. According to Camus, It is impossible for us to find a satisfying answer to the question of the meaning of life, and any attempt to impose a meaning on the universe will end in disaster. He was against any form of meaning creation and said since existence itself has no meaning, we must learn to bear an irresolvable emptiness.

[@theblackponderer]

@@ewkettube5048 But think about it. Camus wrote philosophical texts. Why? Why did he write "The Stranger"? He had this revelation about The Absurd, but rather than simply accepting it and keeping it to himself he chose to create literature to share his revelation with the world. Why? Because he felt that despite The Absurd he had a moral obligation to experience, or put another way, his experience with The Absurd presented an ethical and meaningful existence. In this way we can materialize the abstract and metaphysical through the action of creation. Camus elaborates on this in his "The Myth of Sisyphus."

[@amawesome3190]

You seem to be defending Meursault by saying that others are try to impose their meaning of life onto him without acknowledging that he imposed his own idea of the meaningless of life on the man that he killed, who posed no imminent danger to whim, who he confronted without provocation and whose actions were a product of his indifference and lack of emotional response to the situation. Meursault shoots the Arab multiple times, including after the Arab has fallen to the ground, which suggests a lack of proportionality in his response. People try to talk about this book as if it is proposing some high philosophical ideals when really, Meursault is just a psychopath, a person who has low empathy and cannot connect with others because of his brain chemistry. He didn't embrace the meaningless of life because his prefrontal cortex is composed of less dense matter as opposed to a neurotypical brain and thus renders him inherently incapable of experiencing the intensity of emotions that the neurotypical brain is capable of. In order for the argument to be made that he embraced the meaningless of life, he must at some time have experienced the contrast to make that choice! Even after he is arrested and put in prison, he doesn't take the time to parse with the notion that his ideals regarding the meaningless of life caused him to see other people's life as meaningless and was thus able to so easily take another life. All he can think of is how his incarceration affects him. He doesn't ponder on how his ability for self determination is now affected because he took away another person's ability for self determination by ending that person's life, but rather how inconvenient it is for him. The society, rightfully assesses that the existence of a person who views life as meaningless and is thus able to easily take another's life, without any hint of self reflection, because of their belief that life is meaningless, as an ever present and eminent danger to them......because it is! It drives me up the wall when people try to elevate Meursault seeming existentialism. This isn't a book exploring philosophical ideals, this is a book about a psychopath.

[@theblackponderer]

But how do you know Meursault is a psychopath? We as the reader have no insight into his brain chemistry. There was no psychiatric study performed on him during the book. I would say that you are doing exactly what Meursault is accusing everyone else does, namely, that you are enforcing a fabricated story onto the situation to cope with the brutality of reality. Meursault is not an innocent party here, he’s definitely a murderer. But why did he murder the Arab? Is he a psychopath? Perhaps. Or maybe he’s simply selfish. How many people commit horrible acts due to selfishness? That statistic is truly mind boggling. And because it’s so mind boggling we create stories in our head to justify why, and then we push those stories onto others in an attempt to justify those stories. But maybe, there is no why. Maybe these horrible things that happen, just happen. In the end, Meursault was sent to prison for what he did, so he didn’t get away with his action. But the obsession with the “why” of the action is the point of the book, not the main character.

[@ZLHS123]

@@theblackponderer psychiatric studies are necessary to understand someone else. The book is literally from his perspective, inside his head, and in all accounts his behaviors demonstrates his apathy, lack of empathy, nihilism and all the traits of a psychopath. From his relationship with family, intimate relationships, murderous behavior with 4 unprovoked extra bullets. The meaning attached to life, aka morality/soul, is something we feel towards other humans by extension of our understanding of our own vulnerability as a human. I’d argue the book only works because it acknowledges this point in The final chapter. Being human, Mersault has a soul but it is in his shadow from a jungian perspective. Basically he is blind to his own soul. This makes him unable to understand the world and the people around him, he starts to feels bad in the court scenes but can’t explain it to himself. Once he is sentenced to the guillotine his soul is screaming in pain to be recognized, to the point where he himself begins craving the hatred (final sentence of the book), which is obviously a horrid place to be mentally, but it’s because he’s become a spiritual masochist. His spiritual pain screams to be acknowledged and gets more intense as he becomes more apathetic to it, to the point where he himself craves it, but will never feel it. That’s my take anyway.

[@fobvying6463]

@@ZLHS123I just finished the book and I can’t wrap my head around why he wanted the the people at his execution to hate him. When embracing the subtle indifference of life why would he care if those people hated him or not? Your comment is the first I’ve seen addressing this not sure if I fully agree but I find your take interesting.

[@SuperGreatSphinx]

Albert Camus (7 November 1913 - 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, and journalist. His views contributed to the rise of the philosophy known as absurdism. He wrote in his essay The Rebel that his whole life was devoted to opposing the philosophy of nihilism while still delving deeply into individual freedom. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 43 in 1957, the second youngest recipient in history. Camus did not consider himself to be an existentialist despite usually being classified as a follower of it, even in his lifetime. In a 1945 interview, Camus rejected any ideological associations: "No, I am not an existentialist. Sartre and I are always surprised to see our names linked." Camus was born in French Algeria to a Pied-Noir family and studied at the University of Algiers, from which he graduated in 1936. In 1949, Camus founded the Group for International Liaisons to "denounce two ideologies found in both the USSR and the USA".

[@aroojafzal3400]

Such a useful information... Keep doing this... Respect from Pakistan ❤

[@jaredkaye3669]

Thanks. The book is a satire of existentialism where the main character is the brainwashed nihilist. To be fair I was brainwashed by MTV and never understood what love and forgiveness was. I didn't go to church and when we read The Stranger I thought fatalism and nihilism was the normal philosophical ideology. Today I agree with Dostoyevsky.

[@ivanppillay914]

"Then I fired four more times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace. And it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness." A very revealing passage, indeed. Narrating his experience, with hindsight, the protagnist appears to give himself away, here. Life is not meaningless to him. The reference to the "door of unhappiness" resonates with an undertone of regret. Elsewhere, during his time in prison, his sensory perceptive faculties imbibe and yearn for images which remind him of the outside world. He longs for a woman, for example and the freedom of movement. Life DOES have meaning, afterall.

[@Zajecik]

Is life inherently meaningless if there are evolutionary pressures and the need to reproduce, though?

[@Zajecik]

Loved your review by the way

[@theblackponderer]

Thanks! How does evolutionary pressure prove meaning in life? Some people believe that nature and all it entails is a kind of rat race. That the very process of natural selection is endless, self-defeating, and pointless. As if we're all running in some type of mega labyrinth that leads to nowhere.