Exploring the Theory of Existentialism in The Myth of Sisyphus

Have you ever stopped for a while to think and ask yourself what do you want to
do in your life? or why do you do what you do? Have you found all the answers to your
questions? Finding one’s purpose is very much about finding one’s self. It is what drives
us to continue everyday. However, figuring out takes time. Life is a constant and an
honest journal entry of experiences in pursuit of a meaning. A famous philosophical
essay tells about this concept of existentialism and absurdism and that is the ever
famous work of Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus. He was born on the 7th of
November 1913. He was a French journalist, philosopher, and prolific author in the
golden age. He was also the second-youngest to have ever received a Nobel Prize in
Literature in 1957. Philosophically, Camus’ views are one of the factors that give rise to
the philosophy now referred to as absurdism. He is also regarded as an existentialist,
although he dismissed the term back then.

Camus’ idea regarding the absurdity is close to Simon Kierkegaard, the father of
existentialism whose work crosses the boundaries of theology, literary criticism,
philosophy, fiction, and devotional literature. Camus depicted existentialism in The Myth
of Sisiyphus when Sisyphus had been accused and summoned of levity with regard to
the gods by having stolen their secrets. If his actions were dictated by reason, he would
certainly treat those as more powerful than himself with respect, and shun the theft of
the gods’ secrets. Sisyphus has also put death in chains despite it being a risky action if
regarded from a purely rational point of view. But obviously, Sisyphus’ actions are not
dictated by reasons. Instead, he is a spirited and impulsive person. In addition, his
reaction to when his wife, Pleaid Merope, had thrown his unburied and naked body
publicly states that human emotions like love outweighs reason. It may be apparently
because reason was what dictated his wife to follow and carefully attend to her
husband’s dying wish. However, that is what not Sisyphus expected. He wanted his
wife’s love to be the determining factor of her actions. Fully grasping the values,
mystery, meaning of life and its depth encompasses comprehension of emotions like
love that is inaccessible to reason.

The idea of existentialism according to Dr. John Messerly is that our concrete
personal experiences are superior to rational abstractions. In this life, we are all faced
with death, however, each and everyone of us deal with it differently. Some resort to
rational abstraction. In the context of the essay, Sisyphus’ way of dealing with death
was to put it in chains. His actions were concrete and directly a personal move to
conquer his enemy. When he managed to obtain Pluto’s permission to return to earth
from the underworld to chastise his wife. Upon returning, he was tempted by the
concrete personal experiences. He has enjoyed the water, sun, warm stones, and the
sea and he no longer wanted to go back to the underworld where darkness is infernal.
Rational abstraction would specify or indicate that he doesn't belong to the earth
anymore but to the underworld. But, he was not concerned or interested in what the
reason might possibly dictate. He desired and wanted the concrete and personal
experience in the world of the living once more. Despite him being summoned by the
gods to return to the underworld, he persisted to ignore them to choose the concrete
reality he was enjoying and experiencing on Earth. This assists in explaining how Albert
Camus sees Sisyphus as happy. The futile punishment of rolling a heavy boulder up on
hill only for it to roll down every time. Although it is an unlikeable experience, for a man
like him, it is more preferable to hang around in the ether as spirit which can be
dismissed as what we call the rational abstraction.

The story presents Sisyphus as an example of an existentialist hero. He doesn’t

permit reason to dictate the way he lives his life. But instead, he relies on passion as a
determining factor of his actions and decisions and not on how rational they are.
Although he is condemned to his futile and eternal punishment, he is happy. Through
the power of using one's will, he is the one who takes control of his life and makes
himself as someone who is superior to his fate. The lesson I have learned is that when
we have already figured out what our purpose, passion, or calling is, we must fervently
work at it and pursue it.

Exploring the Theory of Absurdism in The Myth of Sisyphus

 From a quote by Douglas Labier, a psychologist and psychotherapist, it states
that “The consequences of not finding your life purpose include chronic, lingering
dissatisfaction; an absence of inner peace and a sense of not being fully in sync with
your inner self. Most of the time I ask myself Why did God create me? What do I do
with my life now? What is even the purpose of my life? From the philosophical essay,
Camus was able to pose a central question: is life worth living? Is suidcide a response if
life has no meaning? Throughout the years,I constantly ask myself these questions and
it really gets exhausting most of the time. As human beings, one seeks for their life’s
greatest purpose in order to find meaning to their existence. Through reading The Myth
of Sisyphus I have also come to realize a lot of things.

Purpose by definition means “the reason for which something is done or created
or for which something exists. Camus’ philosophy of absurdism on the other hand, can
be demonstrated by the aforementioned myth. He described the absurd as the futile and
a life-long search for a meaning in an indecipherable world, devoid of both God and
meaning. Absurdism emerges out of the tension as between one’s desire for happiness,
order, and meaning, and on the other hand, the indifferent natural universe’s refusal to
provide that. Camus compared the longing of humankind for meaning and order.
Sisyphus, who was a Greek mythological hero, was eternally condemned by the gods.
His punishment was to roll a boulder up the mountain, only to have it fall down again
and again. Camus is also interested to what leads to suicide. He asserts that “beginning
to think is beginning to be undermined..the worm is in man’s heart”. If we begin to think,
we also open up the chances or possibilities that we value which includes our faith and
beliefs in life’s goodness, may be undermined. Life’s rejection comes from deep within,
and from there, source must be sought for. For Albert Camus, killing oneself is being
able to admit that all of the efforts and habits that are needed for living are not worth the
inconveniences and difficulties.For as long as we accept reasons about the meaning of
life, we persist. However, as soon as we begin to reject these reasons, we become
estranged and isolated. We become aliens from the world. This feeling of detachment
from the world is what Camus refers to as absurdity, this is a feeling that may lead to
suicide. Still, most of us hold on because we are attached to the world’ we choose to
continue our lives out of habit.

Going back to the question, is suicide a solution to the absurdity of life? The
people who do believe in life’s absurdity may find a reasonable response — one’s
behavior shall follow from one’s stance. However, naturally, one’s behavior or conduct
doesn’t follow from one's viewpoint or beliefs all the time. People argue for suicide but
continue on with their lives; others affirm the presence life’s meaning but choose
suicide. Yet almost every person is attached to this world through instinct, by a will to
live that precedes the philosophical reflection. Consequently, they elude questions of
suicide and meaning through merging instict with the desire that something would give
life meaning. Yet the repetition of life brings absurdity back to consciousness. From
words of Camus itself “Rising, streetcar, four hours in the office or factory, meal, four
hours of work, meal, sleep, and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday” Living brings back the question of suicide and it forces a person answer and
confront this important question.

Just like Sisyphus, we are in search of a meaning in our lives, only to find
answers that aren’t yet answers so we tumble back down and start again from scratch.
Camus declares that a person should welcome and embrace the absurdity of human
existence and take on the purpose of making meaning and value. Resilience and efforts
not despair in suicide, are the fitting responses. Camus states that Sisyphus is happy
and that we must imitate his resilience. This hero is commendable for he takes his task
no matter how pointless it might be or seem instead of completely giving up or giving in
to suicide, he has risen above his fate by his predetermine choice. For me, life may be
puzzling, but still wouldn’t say it is absurd. I know that God has purpose and plans for
each and everyone of us. No matter how rough and mundane our paths may be right
now, all is well.