Art in the Face of Evil: Analogies between the Conceptions of Two French Resistance Fighters

Estelle Carciofi

doi:10.3390/philosophies4020018

Abstract

I present two conceptions of the human being and art: that of Renaud—the main fictional character of a short novel written by Vercors—and that of Albert Camus. Although these French resistance fighters experienced the same war, the same terrible events surprisingly lead them to opposite extremes: the first one to despair and the rejection of art perceived as an unbearable lie, the second one to hope and to artistic commitment. Analogical reasoning allows us to show both the similarities and the distinctions between these two men or, more precisely, between what they tell us about human beings and art. Thanks to this, it is easier to understand the essential role the artist plays and his duty towards humankind. Moreover, in the work of Albert Camus, we will see that revolt is—and must be—connected to love.

Highlights

Is it possible to continue to believe in human nature—and art—when one sees all the suffering that human beings inflict on other human beings? If so, how? Maybe we could study this essential
What may be the answers to our question about faith in human nature and art? I propose to compare two possible answers: one from Albert Camus and the other from a fictional character; both experienced this conflict
We find all the ingredients that were already present in the short story by Vercors: (1) a list of atrocities, (2) cowardice and (3) the destruction of souls, such as that of Renaud

Summary

Introduction

Is it possible to continue to believe in human nature—and art—when one sees all the suffering that human beings inflict on other human beings? If so, how? Maybe we could study this essentialPhilosophies 2019, 4, 18; doi:10.3390/philosophies4020018 www.mdpi.com/journal/philosophiesPhilosophies 2019, 4, 18 question by referring to a terrible time, during which suffering was at its height and extreme violence was institutionalized: the Second World War. I propose to compare two possible answers: one from Albert Camus and the other from a fictional character (who I will introduce below); both experienced this conflict. One specificity of his work is that it is organized in three cycles (the Absurd, Revolt, and Love—but Camus died before having accomplished this last one) and each one is revealed in different kinds of books (fiction and nonfiction). His conception of the Absurd is found, for example, in The Myth of Sisyphus (essay) as well as in Caligula (play) and

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion