For Albert Camus, revolt is a fundamental human response to the absurd condition of life, a "yes" that emerges from a "no" to oppression, asserting human value and solidarity against meaninglessness and tyranny, as explored in The Rebel; it's not just political uprising but a metaphysical stance against despair, exemplified by Sisyphus, who finds meaning in his conscious struggle. Camus distinguished true rebellion (which affirms life and sets limits) from revolution (which often leads to destructive ideologies and new forms of oppression).
Key Aspects of Camus's Revolt:
- Rooted in the Absurd: Revolt begins with recognizing life's meaninglessness (the Absurd) but refuses suicide or nihilistic despair, instead choosing to live despite it.
- A "Yes" and a "No": A rebel says "no" to injustice and limits but also "yes" to shared human values, creating solidarity.
- Metaphysical vs. Political: He differentiated metaphysical revolt (man against fate/creation) from political revolt (man against man/society) and warned that political revolutions often betray their ideals through violence and ideological excess, becoming revolutions of nihilism.
- The Rebel as Hero (Sisyphus): In The Myth of Sisyphus, Sisyphus rolling a boulder eternally becomes the absurd hero by consciously embracing his fate, finding dignity in his struggle and scorn for the gods.
- Limits and Ethics: True rebellion requires moral limits and a respect for human life, contrasting with revolutionary ideologies that justify mass murder for abstract future goals.
- Rebellion vs. Revolution: Rebellion says "no" to oppression but "yes" to human solidarity and limits; revolution often becomes a justification for total freedom and nihilistic destruction, leading to new tyrannies.
Watch this video to understand the distinction between revolt and revolution in Camus's work:
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