Reddit reviews The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays
We found 23 Reddit comments about The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
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Reddit reviews The Myth of Sisyphus and Other EssaysWe found 23 Reddit comments about The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
That's the big question, isn't it?
I find that the best response to the pointlessness so far has been reading The Myth of Sisyphus. The book by that name is worth reading, but that's a lot to ask of a stranger. The essay by that name, from the book is about a 10-15 minute read, and very poetic.
Camus makes a compelling argument that there is no point to life, that everything we do is ultimately meaningless once we die, and that this point of view liberates us to try and make the most of our lives anyway.
>The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
Of course, feeling the way you do is also just part of being in your early 20's and in college.
You might get something out of this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Sisyphus-Other-Essays/dp/0679733736/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1291401881&sr=8-2
"According to Camus, suicide was a sign that one lacked the strength to face "nothing." Life is an adventure without final meaning, but still, in Camus' eyes, worth experiencing. Since there is nothing else, life should be lived to its fullest and we should derive meaning from our very existence. For Camus, people were what gave life meaning. However, in the moments following the realization that one will die, that one's descendants will die...in fact, that the earth will die, one senses a deep anxiety. And, as an atheist, Camus doubted meaning beyond this life."
Nietzsche sees that civilization is in the process of ditching divinity while still clinging to religious values, and that this egregious act of bad faith must not go uncontested. You cannot kick away the foundations and expect the building still to stand. The death of God is the most momentous event of human history, yet men and women are behaving as though it were no more than a minor readjustment. Of the various artificial respirators on which God has been kept alive, one of the most effective is morality. It does not follow, that goodness, justice and wisdom are chimeras because the existence of God is a chimera. Perhaps not; but in Nietzsche’s view it does not follow either that we can dispense with divine authority and continue to conduct our moral business as usual. Our conceptions of truth, virtue, identity, and autonomy, our sense of history as shapely and coherent, all have deep-seated theological roots. It is idle to imagine that they could be torn from these origins and remain intact. Morality must therefore either rethink itself from the ground up, or live on in the chronic bad faith of appealing to sources it knows to be spurious. In the wake of the death of God, there are those who continue to hold that morality is about duty, conscience, and obligation, but who now find themselves bemused about the source of such beliefs. This is not a problem for Christianity—not only because it has faith in such a source, but because it does not believe that morality is primarily about duty, conscience, or obligation in the first place.
>If atheism is true, it is far from being good news. Learning that we’re alone in the universe, that no one hears or answers our prayers, that humanity is entirely the product of random events, that we have no more intrinsic dignity than non-human and even non-animate clumps of matter, that we face certain annihilation in death, that our sufferings are ultimately pointless, that our lives and loves do not at all matter in a larger sense, that those who commit horrific evils and elude human punishment get away with their crimes scot free — all of this (and much more) is utterly tragic.
Honest atheists understand this. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche proclaimed the death of God, but he called it an “awe-inspiring catastrophe” for humanity, which now faced the monumental task of avoiding a descent into nihilism. Essayist Albert Camus likewise recognized that when the longing for a satisfying answer to the question of “why?” confronts the “unreasonable silence of the world,” the goodness of human life appears to dissolve and must be reconstructed from the ground up.
Nietzsche hated Christianity, of course, but he also hated post-Christian sentimentality. The corrosive power of his critique, is not necessarily a bad thing for Christianity. In fact, by forcing people to face the implications of what they already believe (or, more precisely, what they fail to believe), this has the effect of shearing away the last vestiges of Christianity as a religious ideology for the bourgeois social order. In so doing, it may reveal the orthodox Christian faith in its true radicalism:
>If religious faith were to be released from the burden of furnishing social orders with a set of rationales for their existence, it might be free to rediscover its true purpose as a critique of all such politics. In this sense, its superfluity might prove its salvation. The New Testament has little or nothing to say of responsible citizenship. It is not a “civilized” document at all. It shows no enthusiasm for social consensus.
Sartre presented a lecture called "Existentialism and Humanism," which can now be found in print as Existentialism is a Humanism. It's almost like an Existentialism manefesto, per se. The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus is a good treatise on existentialism (Absurdism, really, but it'll do).
I would not hesitate to start reading fiction novels that have Existentialist themes. Camus' The Stranger, Sartre's Nausea, and Dostyevsky's Notes From the Underground are just a few that will find your studies well.
As for secondary literature, the only text I can knowledgeably recommend is Existentialism For Dummies, as I'm currently working my way through it. It's actually not as bad as you might think coming from the "For Dummies" series. It doesn't go too in-depth, and ideas are very concise and oftentimes humorous.
I have also heard good things about David Cogswell's Existentialism For Beginners, though I have never read it myself.
If your niece feels comfortable with this level of writing and philosophical examination, it is almost imperative to read Kierkegaard's Either/Or and Fear and Trembling, Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future, and Sartre's Being and Nothingness, among others. It is good to have some background understanding of Kant and perhaps have a few essays by Schopenhauer under your belt leading up to the more rigorous academics like Heidegger and Hegel.
Good luck, and happy reading!
Same Sisyphus. https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Sisyphus-Other-Essays/dp/0679733736
Read some Camus.
It probably isn't truly mine, but something I've cobbled together from greater minds than my own into something useful to me. I suggest you do the same. Rather than asking to be my disciple, you are welcome to simply take from my attempt at philosophy whatever you find useful.
Rather than adopting my philosophy as a package deal, you should also do your own reading and thinking, consider your own experiences, and reach your own conclusions. I would suggest, however, that you ask yourself a couple of basic questions:
If you decide to do some philosophica reading, I would suggest starting with Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus and Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra. I found both of these useful and influential as a young man.
The gist of Camus' and Nietzsche's works, respectively, are is that existence has no inherent meaning or purpose and that God is dead in the sense that we can no longer depend on God for moral guidance, meaning, or a sense of purpose. Humanity as a whole is on its own, and every one of us is on their own. If our lives are to have any meaning, it is up to each and every one of us to make our own lives meaningful. It is up to each and every one of us to decide for ourselves the purpose of our own lives.
When you get done with Camus and Nietzsche, check out The Ego and His Own by Max Stirner. He doesn't get much credit, but his rejection of all ideologies, ethics, morals, religions, and beliefs as "spooks" and his strident defense of egoism make him a forerunner of both nihilism and existentialist philosophy.
At the very least, reading Max Stirner will allow you to see through Ayn Rand's bullshit. :)
Finally, if you want to dig deeper and can handle academic English, you might find the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy useful. Good luck!
The myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus
in pdf or at amazon
I read this book after high school in a very strange part of my life. Pay particular attention to the absurd man. One part had a huge impact on me and how I view the world.
At this point of his effort man stands face to face with the irrational. He feels within him his longing for happiness and for reason. The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world. This must not be forgotten. This must be clung to because the whole consequence of a life can depend on it. The irrational, the human nostalgia, and the absurd that is born of their encounter — these are the three characters in the drama that must necessarily end with all the logic of which an existence is capable.
Alright, so this seems like a sort of a summary of the book? Will probably buy this then next
The Wikipedia description of The Myth of Sisyphus is what got me interested in Camus first. Then I read The Stranger, but haven't read anything else by him.
The Myth of Sisyphus.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Myth-Sisyphus-Other-Essays/dp/0679733736
I recommend to you Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus.
After giving this a lot of thought over the years I've come to the conclusion that the key to what we call "confidence" is really satisfaction. Now, what I mean by satisfaction is a complete acceptance and embrace of all the things that are outside of your control, this is a very hard thing to do because it means that you MUST abandon ALL hope that you can ever change these.
Epictetus said it best:
>Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.
You can ONLY find "confidence" through complete acceptance of these things! you MUST abandon ALL hope, hope that you will grow taller, hope that other people will like you, hope that you will have good fortune. Relinquish this hope from your mind, recognize that you are powerless and thus there is no point in "hoping" or grieving about these thing. Put your mind and efforts into the things you can fully control and be the best you can be, embrace the discipline to be true to yourself! you owe it to yourself, consider this your purpose in life, to be in absolute control of all the things you can control.
Once you realize this you will find satisfaction because you are no longer bound by the things you have no control over!.
I absolutely hate the common fake it till you make it advice! I say do not fake anything, be true to yourself, because only you can and you owe it to yourself, it is your purpose.
Do not waste effort and time being envious of the fortune of others, they may have been blessed by the gods, the universe, whatever, It doesn't matter you have no control over it!. Do not waste effort and time being angry at your misfortune, recognize that the world is not "fair" or "unfair", that the world has no concept of "owing" someone anything, but that the world is absurd and that you must not give up the struggle! you MUST face it because its the only way to live life to the fullest.
Camus says that we must accept that life is devoid of meaning and purpose, but I challenge that assertion. Our purpose is to recognize that which we can control and be masters of everything in our domain, by striving for greatness in these things we will find satisfaction, and no one or anything will ever be able to take that away from you.
Keep in mind that all of this is definitely more easily said that done. This is an incredibly hard thing to do, it will take a lot from you, believe me I am still going through it. There will be relapses and moments of weakness but you must embrace this and keep going.
As a side note I recommend everyone here to read up on stoicism and taoism.
Start here:
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/0195374614 (I cannot recommend this book enough!)
and here:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477
Then move on to the classics: Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Lao Zhu.
And finally, whenever you feel like giving up read this: http://www.amazon.com/The-Myth-Sisyphus-Other-Essays/dp/0679733736
Is this the best translation? https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Sisyphus-Other-Essays/dp/0679733736/ref=pd_sbs_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0679733736&pd_rd_r=PV1V58TVTT6EWTX5K8CA&pd_rd_w=gjqRH&pd_rd_wg=x4I1x&psc=1&refRID=PV1V58TVTT6EWTX5K8CA
/thread^^
But it really depends on how you value your time and what you chose your higher values to be. If you look at it in a non-anthroprocentric way everything is really pointless/absurd.
Here. Good read.
Some of my favorites:
You can do it, but do it for yourself first; others will benefit from your strength indirectly.
Also, Albert Camus was French and so his work is available in French foremost, but has been widely translated around the planet so you can probably find translations for your native language. Perhaps starting with "The Myth of Sisyphus" might be a better choice since it's not a work of fiction that needs interpretation by the reader, but is instead a collection of essays which are much less allegorical, which can become muddled and lost in translations.
Just remember that a warrior's attitude towards life is a valiant one.
Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe.
The Myth of Sisyphus.
Practical Ethics.
On What Matters.
Justice for Hedgehogs.
You should buy him this for his birthday or next appropriate gifting ritual.
A reading list...
The Myth of Sisyphus
Fight Club
The 7 habits of Highly Effective People
The games people play
I suggest you see a therapist and read The Myth of Sisyphus. Camus wrote about this exact problem. See what conclusions he came to.
https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Sisyphus-Other-Essays/dp/0679733736
Beyond the obvious choices, Watts' The Book, Ram Dass' Be Here Now, Huxley's Doors of Perception, Leary’s The Psychedelic Experience, and of course Fear and Loathing (all of these should be on the list without question; they’re classics), here are a some others from a few different perspectives:
From a Secular Contemporary Perspective
Godel Escher Bach by Douglass Hofstadter -- This is a classic for anyone, but man is it food for psychedelic thought. It's a giant book, but even just reading the dialogues in between chapters is worth it.
The Mind’s Eye edited by Douglass Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett – This is an anthology with a bunch of great essays and short fictional works on the self.
From an Eastern Religious Perspective
The Tao is Silent by Raymond Smullyan -- This is a very fun and amusing exploration of Taoist thought from one of the best living logicians (he's 94 and still writing logic books!).
Religion and Nothingness by Keiji Nishitani – This one is a bit dense, but it is full of some of the most exciting philosophical and theological thought I’ve ever come across. Nishitani, an Eastern Buddhist brings together thought from Buddhist thinkers, Christian mystics, and the existentialists like Neitzsche and Heidegger to try to bridge some of the philosophical gaps between the east and the west.
The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way by Nagarjuna (and Garfield's translation/commentary is very good as well) -- This is the classic work from Nagarjuna, who lived around the turn of the millennium and is arguably the most important Buddhist thinker after the Buddha himself.
From a Western Religious Perspective
I and Thou by Martin Buber – Buber wouldn’t approve of this book being on this list, but it’s a profound book, and there’s not much quite like it. Buber is a mystical Jewish Philosopher who argues, in beautiful and poetic prose, that we get glimpses of the Divine from interpersonal moments with others which transcend what he calls “I-it” experience.
The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila – this is an old book (from the 1500s) and it is very steeped in Christian language, so it might not be everyone’s favorite, but it is perhaps the seminal work of medieval Christian mysticism.
From an Existentialist Perspective
Nausea by Jean Paul Sartre – Not for the light of heart, this existential novel talks about existential nausea a strange perception of the absurdity of existence.
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus – a classic essay that discusses the struggle one faces in a world inherently devoid of meaning.
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I’ll add more if I think of anything else that needs to be thrown in there!