Samia Sara

October 7, 2019

Writing for Engineering

Extended Definitions

Note: The audience is individuals who ever questioned the meaning of life and this document

gives a few insights on one of the philosophies of life.

What is Absurdism?

Absurdism is a philosophy based on the belief that the universe is irrational and

meaningless and that the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the universe. It

is related to ​existentialism​ and nihilism, and the term has its roots in the nineteenth century

Danish philosopher, ​Søren Kierkegaard​. It refers to the fundamental nature of conflict in human

tendency. This propensity of human beings to find meaning in life and at the same time not being

able to because of this irrational universe. It is associated with confrontation, opposition or

conflict between two ideals.

 The hopeless labor was stated to be the most dreadful punishment. In a broader picture

this “hopeless labor” can be correlated with how people can just live life without understanding

the meaning of it. The total absence of hope, which has nothing to do with despair, a continual

refusal and a conscious dissatisfaction is what the tale of Sisyphus is about. It is a reflection of

idealized aspirations and actual limitations of the human condition. This can be connected to

how absurdists view life on Earth.

The meaning of existentialism is different from absurdism. Existentialism is a belief that

only choices can define essence and a man is what he makes himself through his choices. They

think that we're able to invent meanings of our own. On the other hand, the meaning of nihilism

can be connected to the meaning of absurdism. Absurdism further argues that all attempts to find

meaning will ultimately fail but we should embrace the Absurd. Nihilism, more specifically

existential nihilism, argues that life has no intrinsic meaning, purpose, or value. It is a viewpoint

that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is useless.

Albert Camus​ is a French Philosopher who believed individuals should embrace the absurd. His

perception of existence is a joyful sensuality combined with a recognition of man’s loneliness in

the aforementioned irrational universe.

Examples of Absurdism: proclaim that they simply did not ask

- One can argue that merely living is to be born and every action is

absurd. The fact that we have to meaningless.

work, provide, maintain healthy

without having a choice to. They can Citation:

Maguire, laura. “Camus and Absurdity.”

Philosophy Talk​, 27 Feb. 2015,

https://www.philosophytalk.org/blog/camus-

and-absurdity.