Sartre on Camus’ Concept Of The Absurd

Absurdity, through the eyes of an existentialist.

This is essay 2 of a three-part series. Find the first essay here.

The absurd, in Camus, without the aid of Sartre’s penetrating mind, can be quite the difficult concept to understand — and yet it seems precise in a way, like it is utilized under different circumstances but always with a sort of precision that garners instant respect from the reader.

It is fitting to think of Camus’ philosophy as ‘absurdist’ because Camus thinks the world — or man’s grasp of it, perhaps, though it can be difficult to say — is fundamentally dualistic in a sense. What he means, when he uses the word, is remarkably similar to what the world is like. In some sense, this definition is an exercise in genius. The unique, perhaps unkempt, mind of Camus throws back the curtain, casting light deep into the core problematic of the philosophical discipline; that is, it directly addresses a shortcoming in language which many among us have sought to root out.

Sartre seems to have followed Camus all the way down this rabbit hole, and seeks to show us the way as well, in “A Commentary On The Stranger,” beginning straightaway by addressing the difficult ambiguity of the absurd, as shown in The Stranger.

The Absurd

For Sartre, Camus has two senses in which the word absurd may be used: the emotional sense or the experience of absurdity, and the concept or the abstract representation of absurdity. This is reasonably sensible, but it does not convey the fullness of the concept. Perhaps the most striking omission in Sartre’s review by my eye is the sense in which absurdity delimits the value of everyday, ordinary life.

Sartre plays at this in his discussion of Mersault on trial, discussing his mother. On the matter of his “probably” not loving her, he has no defense — as usual. The entirety of the portrait of the absurd seems destined to add up to something more or less like a Norman Rockwell painting in which everything is as it should be.

Picture it, now. A negative photograph of sorts, in which everything that gives human life value has been stripped away and we are left with a series of events which mean nothing to the protagonist. As a reductio ad absurdum, Camus could hardly have written The Stranger to more adequately characterize his subject.

Having yet to read the bulk of Sartre, I feel more or less safe speculating that the disconnect between him and Camus will become clear as I continue to unpack this complex relationship — for now, it appears as though Sartre wants to avoid this most obvious feature of Camus’ work precisely because he does not agree with its conclusion, that the games we people play with one another are certainly meaningless from any sort of objective standpoint, but nonetheless these are the things which add flavor, character, substance to our existence.

In some sense, misery is the most absurd of all concepts: we play these games to make ourselves happier, to entertain ourselves, and yet when they do not go according to plan, we become dejected? How silly!

The Feeling Of The Absurd, And The Notion Of The Absurd

Sartre is definitely right when he postulates that The Myth Of Sisyphus is designed to explain the idea of the absurd and The Stranger is designed to show the feeling of it. The notion of the absurd is something I’ve been familiar with for many years now — when I’ve complained about various ceremonies such as college graduations, for example. However, seldom have I felt the absurd the way Mersault does. I believe this is probably a good sign for my mental health, but nonetheless the aim of explaining how absurdity feels in this short essay seems a daunting prospect.

I suppose the best way to go about it might be to say that there is a good deal of absurdity in terms of the notion almost everywhere we look. In fact, as I write this essay and it occurs to me that I will one day die, the exercise of writing takes on a sort of absurd tinge to it.

However, the feeling of the absurd is jarring for those of us who do not engage in it on a regular basis beyond the concept as such. Putting on a suit can convey the notion of the absurd, but the feeling is more abstruse. I was once a waiter at an Italian restaurant. I liked to read during the slower parts of the shift, and it was never particularly problematic until I picked up The Grapes Of Wrath at the library. As I read the work, I became acutely aware of the sacrifice of prior generations of Americans and humans alike to reach the point in history wherein it would be possible to read such a masterpiece of insurrectionist fiction in between calls to provide service.

I felt that my job was pointless, and it lost its luster. Prior to this experience, I had enjoyed working indoors and interacting with the diners quite a bit, but I found that the very idea became so pointless during this time that I ended up leaving to work outside again. I would say that perhaps the feeling of absurdity ushered in this choice on my part. Deaths, breakups, major changes to our day to day lives — these are the sorts of things which can usher in the feeling of the absurd, like getting a cold glass of water thrown in your face. Suddenly, things become more clear and we are forced to see the game we were playing as what it was: a game. No more, and no less.

Sartre’s Take On Absurdity

Sartre defines absurdity as divorce, or discrepancy. The phrase “it doesn’t add up” comes to mind. He pushes the concept further, gives it another name: “our inability to conceive, using our concepts and our words, what goes on in the world.” Words are part of the game we play with one another, so what better way to represent the feeling of the absurd than to do so in terms of our ineffability with regard to it? If Mersault is a man because he speaks seldom and has little to say, he is a man insofar as he embraces the absurdity of the situations into which he is placed — that is, insofar as he is not getting wrapped up in things.

It will be interesting, in the future, to see Sartre’s take on absurdity continue to develop. In the present essay, he does not seem to take much of a position beyond simply explicating Camus’ position, indeed ending with the astute observation that The Stranger “ultimately remains reminiscent of a tale by Voltaire.” The thread of the disconnection between Sartre and Camus has developed a bit of its rumored clarity, and I find myself excited to pull it and see where it might lead. After all, it does seem that there is one potential reading available to the audience of Camus’ work: do not strive to become a man, as society might instruct you. Instead, work from the understanding that this is all ultimately absurd and you’re still in control. This might just help you survive and retain your individuality, despite the soul-sucking nature of the modern world in so many respects.

Perhaps Camus’ own point is that, objectively silly or not, the sorts of games we play with one another are the thing that gives life meaning. Sartre’s existentialism project is about pushing these absurd concepts aside to try to find something more meaningful to do, to feel, to live. At least, that is my impression of existentialism and Sartre is an existentialist, so even at this early stage in reading him it is the default sort of structure that I expect him to try to make. And so the tension arises from Sartre’s anarchistic streak and his will to live differently; whereas perhaps Camus’ defense of the value of ordinary life may cause Sartre to see him as something of a target.

The third essay in this short series will focus itself upon happiness for Camus and for Aristotle, hoping to glean a useful distinction from the concept as it appears in each. It is now available here. This, the second, has been predominantly focused upon the interplay between Sartre and Camus regarding the concept of the absurd, primarily as seen in Existentialism is a Humanism and The Myth of Sisyphus. The first, available here, deals with the concept of philosophical suicide in Camus’ The Myth Of Sisyphus.

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Thomas Dylan Daniel is an existential philosopher, professional ethicist, author, and biophysicist. He has written four books and started a Medium publication called Serious Philosophy. Connect via his website or facebook, or have a look at his books.