Book SummaryThe Myth of Sisyphus, by Albert Camus

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The Myth of Sisyphus

In his definitive philosophical essay The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus argues that human existence is fundamentally absurd, since the human drive for purpose and meaning is at odds with the reality that death is inevitable and humanity is cosmically insignificant. Despite this absurdity and the anguish that many people feel when confronted with it, Camus believes that life is still worth living and that going through life with full knowledge of the absurd is the only way to live honestly.

(Shortform note: Camus studied philosophy in the 1930s, and The Myth of Sisyphus is built on the philosophical theories of existentialism, metaphysics, and phenomenology. Some scholars have suggested that the Nazi occupation of France from 1940-1944, which began shortly after Camus moved to Paris, was also a major influence on the text. Biographer Robert Zaretsky claims that Camus was reacting to a world defined by violence, nihilism, and meaninglessness, but that The Myth of Sisyphus nevertheless argues that life is worth the struggle. Camus’s decision to join the French Resistance in 1943 can be seen as his expression of this argument.)

Camus takes Sisyphus—a Greek mythological figure who was condemned to spend an eternity rolling a boulder up a hill—as the...

The Myth of Sisyphus Summary Defining the Absurd

Camus begins his argument with the claim that both the universe and death are unknowable. Theories of existence—such as the belief that God provides life and an afterlife, that there’s a cosmic purpose to human existence that we may realize through our actions, or that death is the end of consciousness and life has no inherent meaning—are just theories, unprovable within the limits of human experience. Despite this, Camus argues that humans have an innate need to believe that our lives have purpose and that there’s continued existence after death, to the point that our inability to definitively answer these questions torments us. This contradiction between our needs and our reality is what Camus calls the absurd.

Existentialism

Camus’s theory of absurdism is built on the foundation of existentialism, a philosophical field of inquiry concerned with defining life’s meaning and purpose, as well as how people may live “authentically.” Various existentialist thinkers embraced Christian doctrine (life exists at the...

The Myth of Sisyphus Summary Negative Responses to the Absurd

Recognizing the absurd is frightening and upsetting, and Camus argues that both negative responses to it—philosophical rejection and suicide—attempt to escape these emotions by providing answers for what is unknowable and breaking down the contradictory relationship at the absurd’s heart. Philosophical rejection denies the premise that life is finite and possibly meaningless, while suicide denies the premise that the human desire for eternity and meaning is innate. Camus believes that both responses are a form of self-delusion that fail to offer a convincing alternative—logically or emotionally—to the truth of the absurd.

Philosophical Rejection

When giving examples of thinkers who recognized the absurd only to run from it, Camus points to two existentialists he admires, novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Both men ultimately turned to Christianity to satisfy their need for meaning and emotional catharsis, and Camus argues that in doing so, they compromised their rationality.

Dostoyevsky’s fiction frequently deals with amoral characters and pointless suffering, and Camus draws attention to one particular character, Kirilov, who commits...

The Myth of Sisyphus Summary Living an Absurd Life

Though Camus dismisses attempts to define the meaning of life, particularly religious ones, he also believes that life is the only thing that matters, as it’s the means by which you experience consciousness, pleasure, and growth. Life may be given by a benevolent God, or it may lack any deeper meaning; either way, you should attempt to get as much out of it as you can before your inevitable death. Camus describes this as an eternal struggle for freedom, with every person rebelling against the unknowability of the universe. Though this rebellion will fail, he argues that it makes you stronger, more intelligent, and more appreciative of your experiences.

(Shortform note: Camus would expand on the connection between rebellion and self-improvement in The Rebel (1951), which argues that creating a perfect civilization is impossible, but revolting against injustice is still a noble goal that betters the individual and the society they live in. However, Camus was less supportive of rebellion in the real world—he was a pacifist [opposed to any form of revolutionary...

Shortform Exercise: Confront the Absurd

Camus argues that everyone will recognize the absurd at some point in their lives, but that most people respond to this with philosophical rejection, as living an absurd life seems too painful to cope with.

Have you ever experienced what Camus describes as the absurd? How did it make you feel, and how did you respond to it?