This Absurd Universe: Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus

hi everyone so a month or two ago my brother came up to me holding a very familiar-looking text Albert Moo's essay the myth of Sisyphus you might remember that one of the very first videos we created together was about the same essay so we thought it would be fun to revisit Sisyphus this time going into more depth and analysis okay here we go the myth of Sisyphus was an essay published in 1942 by the French philosopher Albert Camus now if the words 1940s ish philosopher and France sets off some alarm bells in your head you are absolutely right the myth of Sisyphus and more importantly Camus emerged right in the midst of the French existentialist heyday now you and I might be well-acquainted with the word existential from phrases like late-night existential crisis or teenage existential angst but contrary to popular belief existentialism isn't just about the terrifying meaninglessness of the universe I personally find it to be quite a hopeful way of thinking because even though it does acknowledge the terrifying meaninglessness at the universe it also revolves around the idea that we can create our own meaning or projects which is more or less with Sisyphus is all about as the actual myth of Sisyphus goes in ancient Greece Sisyphus used to be the king of Corinth and one of the wisest mortals in the world but he was punished horribly in the afterlife this much we know but the rest is shrouded in well myth because there are many different tales about houses sophistica on the gods bad side some say that he managed to chained death itself some say that he told Zeus's secrets in exchange for water and porn others say that he convinced hates let him to return to life temporarily and then refused to go back in each of these stories Sisyphus is only sin was that he loved life too much and didn't fear the gods enough in the end he ended back in the underworld condemned to roll a rock up the hill for the rest of eternity when pictures a tremendous effort the strain and sweat assist fest heaves the boulder up and up the hill but as soon as the rock is about to reach the summit it rolls back down the hill and Sisyphus turns around to push it back up again kamil writes that it is during that return that pause that Sisyphus interests me that is the hour of consciousness it is not the torment itself but the consciousness of it the choice to engage in it over and over which interest Camus to many of us the idea of performing a futile task over and over for the rest of eternity sounds horrible but imagine how much more painful it would be if we were aware of this utility Camus argues that Sisyphus is consciousness of his own pointless fate is what makes the myth tragic yet contrary to what we would expect Camus states of this awareness that was to constitute his torture at the same time crowns his victory to Camus Sisyphus is the absurd hero trapped within the machinery of fate in a meaningless world yet somehow able to overcome it when he leaves the heights and gradually sinks towards the lair of the gods he is superior to his fate he is stronger than his rock so say what again Camus even though he returns to his rock over and over Sisyphus somehow overcomes it this is where the importance of consciousness comes into play in his explanation of the recipe for absurd victory Camus references the myth of Oedipus destined from birth to kill his father and marry his mother many people try to keep this from happening but it eventually comes to pass and upon discovering this Oedipus blinds himself of sorrow yet at the very end of the play Oedipus states that despite so many ordeals my advanced age and the nobility of my soul make me conclude that all is well it's important to realize that Oedipus isn't being glib or optimistic here rather he is acutely aware of everything that has happened and chooses to pronounce it well Camus writes I conclude that all is well says Oedipus and that remark is sacred it echoes in the wild and limited universe of man makes a fate a human matter which must be settled among men all Sisyphus is silent joy is contained therein his fate belongs to him this is how Sisyphus overcomes his rock we might not be able to change the circumstances were in or the inherent meaninglessness of the universe in our personal fate but by reflecting upon it we can choose how to interpret it we can take hold of it and create our own meaning the same consciousness which causes us to feel tournament from the absurd is the tool through which we make our fate our own furthermore if there truly is no higher power or overarching direction to this world then fate is a human matter the absence of a larger meaning means that we can create one ourselves to take a step back out of this framework of Greek myths we realize that the trials and tribulations of Sisyphus are extremely relevant to our own lives who hasn't felt the stare at a repetitive cycle which seems to lead to nowhere who hasn't felt chills at the realization that were destined to die or on the March larger scale of geologic and cosmic time our entire species is destined to die and we're just one fraction in a millisecond of the lifespan of this universe Camus writes that it happens that melancholia rises in man's heart this is the Rock's victory this is the rock itself the boundless grief is too heavy to bear we are also CIFAS grappling with our personal rocks we are all Oedipus's trapped under the fate of an inevitable death yet whatever happens between now and then whatever happens within our fates themselves that is completely up to us one always finds ones burden again but Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks he too concludes that all as well this universe henceforth without a master seems to him night is sterile nor futile the struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart in the end doesn't matter whether the boulder will roll down again or that we will inevitably die it's the struggle itself that we can content ourselves with the journey itself which matters and at the end of our faiths we too may conclude at all as well one must imagine Sisyphus happy

Channel: Marker Ninja Studios

Views: 157,287

Keywords: The Myth Of Sisyphus (Book), Albert Camus (Author), Absurdism, sisyphus, camus, philosophy, Existentialism (Literary School Or Movement), khanacademytalentsearch

Id: kINdkdNOKHo

Length: 7min 33sec (453 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 18 2015

Reddit Comments

[u/MortalSisyphus]

Great video. Very well done.

[u/TrES_2bi]

Thank you very much for sharing. Amazing!

[u/Max_Morrel]

Great video. I guess you could say ‘the struggle is real’

[u/savealltheelephants]

Camus’s**