The Myth of Sisyphus (Le Mythe de Sisyphe, 1942) is Albert Camus's first sustained philosophical essay, opening with the claim that the only truly serious philosophical problem is suicide. It names the absurd, the confrontation between the human demand for meaning and a universe that offers none, and argues that the honest response to that confrontation is neither suicide nor a leap of faith but a lucid revolt that keeps living without illusion. Its closing image, imagining the condemned Sisyphus happy in his endless labor, became the essay's most quoted line.
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Genre / Form Publication Year Original Language Connections
Associated With
Source The Myth of Sisyphus (Wikipedia)
Authored By
Source Albert Camus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Belongs To Tradition
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Source Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Written In Form
Sources
1. Wikipedia: The Myth of Sisyphus
WikipediaConclusion, essay referenceQuote, Conclusion, essay reference
The essay concludes, "The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
2. Albert Camus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophySection 3, Suicide, Absurdity and Happiness: The Myth of Sisyphus
There is only one really serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.
- Authored By: Albert Camus
View the Source Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationIn Branch: MetaphysicsView the Source The Myth of Sisyphus (Wikipedia)
WikipediaAssociated With: The Absurd, Lead sectionQuote, Associated With: The Absurd, Lead section
Camus introduces his philosophy of the absurd.
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