Absurdism

Absurdism

Absurdism is a school of thought in philosophy and literature, prominent in the twentieth century.  The contemporary understanding of Absurdism has its roots with Kierkegaard in the nineteenth century, as well as with the Dada movement in the 1920’s, which began in Switzerland as a reaction to the horrors of The Great War.  French novelist Albert Camus has spilled the most ink on the subject.  Broadly, Absurdism is the view that people seek meaning in their life, while the universe seems unlikely to provide it.  The disharmony between these two features is the source of absurdity. Absurdism is seen as an emotional state as well as an intellectual position.  (Camus)  Conrad saw it as “the frightful gulf that separates man from his surroundings, man from man, the disparity between the human ideal and its surroundings.” (Gillon 3)

Absurdism plays and important role in the progress of human thought, and can be linked to other important intellectual movements.  Existence has been puzzling people as far back as Dante and the Stoics, (Wegener 150) and there have been countless events that call into question the harmonious relationship between humans and the universe.  These events range from the world wars, to the loss of a family dog.  Over time, as the idea of God lost currency as a source of meaning for people’s lives, Absurdism gains currency as an explanation for the human condition.  Since Nietzsche’s famous declaration of God’s death at the end of the nineteenth century, the modern world has struggled to maintain its clear vision of progress and unity.  Modernity claims to move humankind forward with a unified purpose, but Absurdism points out that there might not be any inherent meaning to existence.  This seems to be the starting point for the postmodern movement that has accompanied us to the twenty-first century.  The history of Absurdism can be seen in the social and political issues of today.  Absurdism makes it difficult to form a consensus on the state of affairs around us, and the news media is facing challenges in this regard.  There is a large flow of mis- and disinformation by virtue of Absurdism’s claim that truth might be relative.  This skepticism has also influenced a contemporary body of art that disavows meaning, instead opting to disavow meaning and live in the unknown.  Examples include the viral video “going to the store” and the comedic work of Reggie Watts.

There are many important figures that participated in Absurdism, including Soren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Franz Kafka, Joseph Conrad, and Albert Camus.  Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher who lived from 1813 to 1855. His response to the absurd was to take a leap of faith and place meaning in God. (Camus 40) Dostoyevsky was a Russian novelist who lived from 1821 to 1881.  He saw the world as fundamentally irrational, and his works live in this absurd space.  Kafka lived in Czechoslovakia and Austria from 1883 to 1924.  His characters are described as responding to absurdity with ridiculousness, like someone who laughs at policemen while hitting them. (Gillon 3)  Joseph Conrad, 1857 to 1924, is famous for his book Heart of Darkness, which contrasts the absurdity of England to that of the Congo.  His hero’s journey up the Congo river is an allegory for a personal journey into the absurdity of existence.  The film Apocalypse Now, which explores the absurdity of the Viet Nam War, is loosely based on Conrad’s book.  Camus’ work The Myth of Sisyphus is the most commonly cited work in Absurdism.  Aside from an argument against suicide, it is a project to explain the best response to absurdity.  The central image is of Sisyphus being condemned to push a boulder up a mountain for eternity, but that he is happy to do so.

Stephen Good

 

Bibliography

Gillon, Adam. The Absurd and ‘Les Valeurs Ideales’ in Condrad, Kafka and Camus.” The Polish Review, vol. 6, no. 3, 1961, pp. 3–10. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25776355

Wegener, Adolph H. “The Absurd in Modern Literature.” Books Abroad, vol. 41, no. 2, 1967, pp. 150–156. JSTOR, JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40121546.

Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays. Vintage Books, 1955.