Absurdity and revolt : a philosophical account

Abstract

Life has sometimes been considered absurd by philosophers, particularly by the existentialists. The different interpretations of the absurd and absurdity, as well as how and why life can be absurd have been the focus of many existentialist philosophers, notably Albert Camus. This work examines the topic of absurdity and the responses that are given to it. The work of Albert Camus is the main source of this thesis, as well as that of Jean-Paul Sartre, Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Thomas Nagel. It aims primarily at giving a detailed look into Camus' philosophy of revolt, as well as demonstrating how aesthetics, and in particular, the aesthetics of life, can counter the existential void which the absurd notoriously conveys.