Human Existence and the Tragic Beauty of the Absurd

Abstract

This chapter analyses of one of Camus’s most widely read works, The Myth of Sisyphus. It outlines in detail two aspects of his general argument that open up the central pathways into his moral and political thought; first, his meditations on the absurd, and second, his critique of nihilism and dogmatic foundationalism. It also provides a first point of contact with Camus’s use of literary and dramatic texts, including The Stranger and Caligula, alongside philosophical essays to elucidate his ideas about modern society, morality and politics. In doing so, Hayden posits the dominant theme of Camus’s account of the absurd as a critical post-foundationalist account of the human condition. The chapter thereby demonstrates that the disorienting limits or boundary-situations of human existence challenge the lingering tendency towards foundationalism in modern philosophy, ethics and politics.