Albert Camus And Existentialism Essay

French philosopher Albert Camus was born on November 7, 1913 in Mondovi, Algeria. He, along with Jean Paul Sartre, is often attributed as being a major proponent of the theory of absurdism and existentialism. Despite being a major advocate for existentialism, Camus also believed in the necessity of values, such as truth and justice, and their need to be defended. Beginning in early childhood into progressing until his adolescent years, Camus experienced sporadic tuberculosis attacks that often prevented him from attending school. In order to not fall behind academically, he regularly attended private tutoring sessions and eventually registered at the University of Algiers as a philosophy student in 1930. A few years before earning what would be considered today a Master’s by thesis, he joined the French …show more content…
Shortly after Péri’s death in 1941, he published his first works, The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus one year later. Towards the end of his life, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957. Tragically, he died in an automobile accident in 1960, however his contributions to philosophy and the significance of the theory of the absurd continue to be discussed and analyzed to this day, often in regards to the similarity between the existentialist and nihilist theories. Camus’ most famous works are The Stranger, The Plague, The Rebel, and The Fall. In The Stranger, a shipping clerk named Meursault is informed of his mother’s death. His detachment to this significant event is a key factor in the theme of isolation and sadness that is present within the novel. Despite the passing of his mother, the character continues to go through life in the same manner that he had previously done. The climax of the novel, however, is reached when Meursault attacks and ends up violently murdering another man. As he is awaiting his verdict, the jury is in awe of his blatant lack of emotion regarding his