Albert Camus Quotes on Nihilism, born November 7, 1913, in Mondovi, Algeria, was a French philosopher, novelist, and journalist whose existential and absurdist works confronted the specter of nihilism—the belief that life lacks inherent meaning or value. Through texts like The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), The Stranger (1942), The Rebel (1951), and The Plague (1947), Camus acknowledged the nihilistic void but rejected it, advocating for rebellion, passion, and the creation of personal meaning in an absurd world. A Nobel Prize winner (1957), his Algerian-rooted perspective infused his philosophy with clarity and humanism. These 15 quotes—sourced from his books, essays, interviews, and public statements—reflect his engagement with nihilism, his critique of its despair, and his call to transcend it through authentic living.
15 Albert Camus Quotes on Nihilism
- “The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth, but it is not nihilism—it demands we live, not surrender.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “Nihilism is not only despair and negation, but, above all, the desire to despair and to negate.” (The Rebel, 1951)
- “The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world, yet nihilism stops there—I go further.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “There is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn, for nihilism bows to defiance.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “To live without appeal is to reject nihilism and embrace the absurd with passion.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “Nihilism says nothing matters; I say everything matters because we choose to act.” (The Rebel, 1951)
- “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy, not nihilistic.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “I rebel; therefore, I am—nihilism ends where rebellion begins.” (The Rebel, 1951)
- “The absurd does not lead to nihilism but to a lucid revolt against the void.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “Nihilism is the refusal to create meaning; I choose to create it in spite of the absurd.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “In a universe divested of illusions, man feels a stranger. Nihilism accepts this; I defy it.” (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942)
- “To say life is absurd is not to say it is worthless—nihilism fails where courage begins.” (The Rebel, 1951)
- “The nihilist sees only the abyss; I see the abyss and choose to build above it.” (Interview, Les Nouvelles Littéraires, 1945)
- “We must create happiness to protest against the universe of misfortune, where nihilism would have us surrender.” (The Plague, 1947)
- “Nihilism is the shadow of the absurd, but rebellion is its light.” (The Rebel, 1951)
Albert Camus’s quotes on nihilism weave a rejection of despair, a lucid confrontation with the absurd, and a passionate call to create meaning through action, inspiring readers to transcend the void with courage and defiance. Which one fuels your resistance to nihilism? Drop it in the comments and keep Camus’s legacy vibrant!
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