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Albert Camus
Three Philosophical Movements
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Existentialism: A belief that neither human beings
nor the universe has any essential
nature. Human beings construct their natures
through their choices.
Absurdism: A belief that our need for meaning is
greater than the ability of the universe to be
meaningful, making all philosophical positions
absurd.
Moralism: A philosophical enquiry into the ethical
implications of the human condition.
Camus’ Existential Moralism
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Human beings inhabit a moral universe in which
there are no absolute guidelines
Nonetheless, we have an ethical sense that we try
to live up to—most of us want to be “good
people,” though it is difficult to pin down exactly
what this means. (BEING A GOOD PERSON
ALSO MEANS DEFINING EXACTLY WHAT
THAT MEANS)
Camus’ Existential Moralism
Life constantly presents us with moral
choices without giving us the right answers
 The various ways that we try to define a
moral code and live by it constitute our
moral being
 We define ourselves as moral beings by the
choices that we make within the ethical
system that we construct.
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Daru’s Choice
Daru’s choice of whether to take the Arab
prisoner to be executed or to set him free
represents the kinds of moral choices that we
all make: there are no solid guidelines for
him to use, but there are genuine moral
implications to whatever he decides.
The Arab’s Choice
The Arab’s choice represents the existential
choice that we all make. He is given
complete freedom to live or die, but chooses
a comfortable execution to the discomfort
of real, meaningful freedom.