Albert Camus Quotes on Existentialism, born November 7, 1913, in Mondovi, Algeria, was a French philosopher, novelist, and journalist whose works profoundly influenced existentialism and absurdism. Through masterpieces like The Stranger (1942), The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), The Plague (1947), and The Rebel (1951), Camus explored the human condition, the search for meaning, and the confrontation with an indifferent universe. A Nobel Prize winner (1957), his Algerian-rooted perspective infused his philosophy with clarity and humanity. These 15 quotes—sourced from his books, essays, interviews, and public statements—reflect his existentialist insights on life, freedom, rebellion, and the absurd.
15 Albert Camus Quotes on Existentialism
- “The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is.” (The Rebel, 1951)
- “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “I rebel; therefore, I am.” (The Rebel, 1951)
- “The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “To live without appeal is to embrace the absurd fully.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “There is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” (Retour à Tipasa, 1954)
- “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” (The Rebel, 1951)
- “To create is to live twice.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “I don’t know whether this world has a meaning that transcends it. But I know that I do not know that meaning and that it is impossible for me just now to know it.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “What is called a reason for living is also an excellent reason for dying.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “Living is keeping the absurd alive. Keeping it alive is, above all, contemplating it.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “Existentialism is not despair; it is the courage to live without illusions.” (Interview, Les Nouvelles Littéraires, 1945)
- “The absurd man says yes and his effort will henceforth be unceasing, carving his own path to meaning.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
Albert Camus’s existentialist quotes blend lucid rebellion, courage, and a call to create meaning in an indifferent world, inspiring readers to embrace life’s absurdity with passion. Which one defines your existential journey? Drop it in the comments and keep Camus’s philosophy alive!
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