ALBERT CAMUS, THE ABSURD AND MARTYRDOM

Abstract

Albert Camus (1913-1960) was an Algerian-French thinker who is heralded for his extensive work on the human experience of 'the now'. The question of existence, of whether there is meaning to life or otherwise is explained with great enthusiasm in his works, The Plague, The Stranger, The Myth of Sisyphu', and Letters to a German Friend, among others. This essay seeks to reconcile the incessant search for meaning in human beings with the motivations of martyrs who carry out suicide attacks across the globe, thus arguably justified in their actions. By means of this text, it is with sincere hope that the lessons extracted from Camus’ work be used to facilitate act of kindness between people near and far.