Blackwell Reference Online

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Albert Camus, French novelist, essayist, and playwright, was a major exponent of existentialism along with Jean-Paul Sartre . His writings centered on the notion of human alienation from the world and from one's own self. His philosophy taught that one should embrace courageously the absurdity of life and pursue truth and justice through moral rebellion. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. Camus's vision of human existence as a paradox of wonder and absurdity informed his spirit of rebellion. In his philosophical essay, The Myth of Sisyphus ( Le Mythe de Sisyphe , 1942), he described the human condition that yielded no fruit despite endless efforts. In spite of the meaninglessness of life, however, Camus refused to surrender to the grip of death without a fight. His personal rebellion was made manifest in political activism. In 1934–5 he was a member of the Algerian Communist Party. As a left-wing intellectual of Algiers, he wrote articles for Alger-Républicain that portrayed the injustices suffered by the Muslims in the Kabylie region. Camus's writings provided a humanitarian view on the colonial woes that eventually led to the Algerian War (1954–62). His critique of colonialism was paired with his hope for France's role in Algeria. During World War II, Camus was a member of the Resistance . His writings from the war years demonstrated that he sought to ... log in or subscribe to read full text