The myth of Sisyphus
The myth of Sisyphus -or The Myth of Sisyphus, by its original title in French—is a philosophical essay written by the journalist, novelist and Nobel Prize winner in literature (1957) Albert Camus. The work was published for the first time in October 1942, by the publishing house Éditions Gallimard. Like Abroad y Plague, this is one of the writer's great texts, being discussed on countless occasions.
So much Abroad as The myth of Sisyphus They appeared on the same date, revealing to the public Camus's literary talent, capacity for theoretical reflection and ethical sensitivity. The author used to write plays, essays, narratives and reviews. Through these means he often explored the richness and ambiguity of the human condition.
Origin of the myth of Sisyphus
The name of Camus's essay has its origins in—pardon the redundancy—the myth of Sisyphus, a Greek king who was known for lying, deceiving, and manipulating the people of his kingdom. One day, he tricked Thanatos, death, and, when he ended up in the underworld, he tricked the god Hades into reviving him and restoring his youth and beauty. After growing old, Sisyphus died again.
However, it was not Thanatos who went looking for him, but Hermes, the god of lies. The divine being took advantage of the old man's admiration to propose a deal. He took him in front of a hill and promised him that, if he was able to push a stone and make this will remain still at the top, would make him an Olympian. The man accepted. Consequently, he spent all eternity pushing the rock.
Synopsis of The myth of Sisyphus
Divine punishment or metaphor for the philosophy of the absurd?
This work by Albert Camus is divided into four chapters and an appendix. As an idealist of the philosophy of the absurd, Camus sees Sisyphus as passionately fighting against the irrational silence of the world. So, The text raises an interesting premise: if life has no meaning, Why not spend it doing what you really love? In this way, Camus' absurdism is not focused in a negative way.
In fact, His philosophy raises the foundations to use the absurd as a reinforcement that defends values such as freedom, solidarity and support among citizens. In principle, the structure of the work is a bit chaotic. However, little by little Camus exposes his principles, and then shows the myth of Sisyphus and composes his metaphors through it.
The comparison of modern man with the Greek king
The myth of Sisyphus describes the iconography of the absurd hero. That is to say: the man who succumbs to his passions and is unconcerned about the deep meaning of existence. In the end, this has no apparent meaning, so Man should not worry about something that either does not exist or is not going to affect his daily life.
In this sense, the absurd hero is dedicated to not finishing anything, precisely because of the passion he feels towards life and everything it implies, including negative experiences. If it seems paradoxical it is because it is. The absurdity implicit in The myth of Sisyphus shows how he is the master of his destiny, even living the divine punishment of the gods.
An analogy of suicide
A complementary interpretation of the one previously proposed says that The myth of Sisyphus It is about the value of life and the incessant and useless effort of man. As a result of such an insignificant existence, where the only thing that has value is what we create, the author asks: “Is there an alternative to suicide?”, also mentioning that: “There is only one really serious philosophical problem: suicide.” .
About the absurd man
Broadly speaking, this archetype proposed by Camus, which he called “the absurd man,” expresses the incongruity of the man who, even without understanding the world, constantly faces this incomprehension. Given this, the author states: “The rebel does not deny the history that surrounds him and tries to assert himself in it. But he finds himself before her like the artist before the real, he rejects her without avoiding her. Not even for a second does he make her an absolute.”
To explain your concept, Camus alleges thatAccepting the absurd is the only alternative to the unjustifiable leap of faith that religions demand and existentialism itself. By itself, the author's philosophy does not promote quietism or passivity, on the contrary. According to Camus, Sisyphus experiences freedom when he finishes positioning the boulder, that brief period of time saving him from his suicidal fate.
About the Author
Albert Camus was born on November 7, 1913, in Mondovi, now Dréan, French Algeria. The author began and completed his primary and high school studies thanks to a scholarship that the children of war victims received. During that time, His teachers were the main promoters of his reading of philosophy, especially that of Nietzsche.. Later, she graduated in Philosophy and Letters.
His doctoral thesis deals with the relationship between classical Greek thought and Christianity based on the writings of Plotinus and Saint Augustine. Camus began writing at a very young age. Later, worked as a journalist Alger Republicain, where he published various articles that analyzed the situation of Muslims in the region of Kabylia. The author advocated for social justice and the working classes.
Other books by Albert Camus
Novels
- L'Étranger — The Stranger (1942);
- The Plague — The Plague (1947);
- La chute — The fall (1956);
- La mort heureuse — Death Happy (1971);
- Le premier homme — The first man (1995)
Theater
- Caligula — Caligula (1944);
- Le malentendu — The misunderstanding (1944);
- L'Impromptu des philosophes — The impromptu of the philosophers (1947);
- L'état de siège — The state of siege (1948);
- Les justes — The just (1950)
Essay and non-fiction
- Métaphysique chrétienne et Néoplatonisme — Christian metaphysics and Neoplatonism (1935);
- Révolte dans les Asturies — Rebellion in Asturias (1936);
- L'envers et l'endroit — The reverse and the right (1937);
- Noces — Weddings (1938);
- Les Quatre Commandements du journaliste libre — The four commandments of a free journalist (1939);
- Le mythe de Sisyphe — The myth of Sisyphus (1942);
- Lettres à un ami allemand — Letters to a German friend (1943-1944);
- Neither victims, nor bourreaux — Neither victims nor executioners (1946);
- Pourquoi l'Espagne? —Why Spain? (1948);
- Le témoin de la liberté —The witness of freedom (1948);
- L'Hommerévolté — The rebel man (1951);
- The Living Desert (1953);
- Actuelles I, Chroniques — Actuales I, Chronicles (1944-1948);
- Actuelles II, Chroniques — Actuales II, Chronicles (1948-1953);
- Actuelles III, Chroniques algériennes — Actuales III, Chronicles of Algeria (1939-1958).