Absurdism: An introduction
Absurdism is often classed as a depressing or nihilistic philosophy, when in fact, it is the most liberating of them all. Popularised by Camus in Europe, these ideas seem to be resurfacing as our society loses faith in traditional religions and ideologies. The decline in ‘timeless’ ideologies has left our world, especially the youth, with an anxiety like no other. What’s the purpose of life? Why should I do anything? Why should I bother if we are all going to die anyway?
Good question. Luckily, you aren’t the only one to have thought of this before. Some of the world’s greatest minds have pondered these questions for lifetimes, and yet they still could not agree on an answer. According to Absurdism, life has no intrinsic meaning, no matter how hard we try to search, we will not find true meaning to life. The human attempt to find meaning is unsuccessful, essentially making the search for it futile and absurd. How lovely. A lifelong search for meaning just to come to the conclusion none of it mattered anyway? Yep. Pretty much.
Us humans are ‘condemned to be free’. First, we are a person, we exist, and then we are forced to make meaning of it all. We are all thrown in the deep end, and none of us really know what we are doing. We are experiencing this for the first time like you. That pretentious boss of yours doesn’t know what he’s doing. The annoying math teacher doesn’t either. You decide your purpose. You decide what matters to you. No one can rob you of that. You always have a choice, and this is what makes you mightier than the Gods. You and you alone, create your meaning.
In this we are equal. We all suffer from the ‘human condition’. We have no intrinsic or predetermined purpose. We all have to figure it out for ourselves. But in this revelation, we become more powerful than anything. It may mean that no one will ever really make sense of this, maybe we are truly ‘hatched, matched and dispatched’. However confronting that may be, it’s in trenches of everyday life that we find happiness and purpose.
Well what do I do if none of it matters?
Anything, really. As Camus said, ‘The literal meaning of life is whatever you’re doing that prevents you from killing yourself’. Whatever you do that stops you from ending it all, that’s your purpose. I don’t care how small or large it is; it doesn’t matter. It could be taking your dog for a walk every day, or practising that musical instrument you loved as a kid. It can be anything. And the beauty of it all? You get to choose. People can try and tell you what they think you’re here for. They’re wrong. You have the power to create hope, to rebel, to start a revolution in yourself. A rebellion against your need for meaning, a rebellion that will leave you with only what’s required to exist. You. Your freedom and your choices.
Famous existential and absurd philosophers didn’t spend their days scrolling Tiktok or waiting for a reply on Tinder. Although they did drink a lot of coffee, they experienced themselves. They experienced the world. They were people of action. Philosophy is not simply an academic venture, it’s medicine for the worst disease of them all. But most importantly it requires you to be a person of action. It requires you to make decisions and experience things.
No one really has it figured out. You don’t. I don’t. And that’s alright. You exist for a while and then you don’t. Don’t complicate it.
