For the Practicing Absurdist…

I’ve stumbled upon the Absurdist Monthly Review.

They have a nice selection of absurdist quotes, including this particularly relevant one by Eugene Ionesco:
“No society has been able to abolish human sadness, no political system can deliver us from the pain of living, from our fear of death, our thirstĀ forĀ the absolute. It is the human condition that directs the social condition, not vice versa.”Not even the most efficient bureaucracy (in The Plague’s case, a French colonial bureaucracy) can alleviate the nearness of death that all of its citizens feel in their lives.

Of course, the Absurdist Monthly Review also has, well, monthly reviews of absurdist art and literature (which are downloadable from the site). So check it out for a window into a modern niche of absurdism!

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  1. After briefly mentioning the Sisyphus during the discussion of absurdity in the novel, I realized that the essay Myth of Sisyphus was actually written by Camus. While Camus does not give a direct answer in the Plague, here he is more direct in his response to the question: is suicide the right choice in the midst of absurdity?
    His answer is NO. “It requires revolt,” he says. Although the repeated task of moving stone ends him in nowhere, Camus says that one must imagine Sisyphus happy, for it is the struggle that gives a meaning of life. If you want to read more about Camus and absurdity, here is the nicely written blog post I found: http://philosophyforchange.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/camus-authenticity-and-revolt/

    p.s. This is not a spoiler. But Theater Mitu’s new play “Dream Play” is very thought-provoking, and might actually contribute to the class discussion sooner or later. So please watch it and let’s see if there could be any connections to be found between the play and the course readings.

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