“A living man can be enslaved and reduced to the historic condition of an object. But if he dies in refusing to be enslaved, he reaffirms the existence of another kind of human nature which refuses to be classified as an object.”
— Albert Camus
“When a war breaks out, people say: "It's too stupid; it can't last long." But though the war may well be "too stupid," that doesn't prevent its lasting. Stupidity has a knack of getting its way; as we should see if we were not always so much wrapped up in ourselves.”
— Albert Camus
“At any street corner the feeling of absurdity can strike any man in the face.”
— Albert Camus
“The slave begins by demanding justice and ends by wanting to wear a crown. He must dominate in his turn.”
— Albert Camus
“Poor and free rather than rich and enslaved. Of course, men want to be both rich and free, and this is what leads them at times to be poor and enslaved.”
— Albert Camus
“Accepting the absurdity of everything around us is one step, a necessary experience: it should not become a dead end. It arouses a revolt that can become fruitful.”
— Albert Camus
“I had only a little time left and I didn't want to waste it on God.”
— Albert Camus
“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure.”
— Albert Camus
“Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.”
— Albert Camus
“I may not have been sure about what really did interest me, but I was absolutely sure about what didn't.”
— Albert Camus
“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy. All the rest – whether or not the world has three dimensions, whether the mind has nine or twelve categories – comes afterwards. These are games; one must first answer. And if it is true, as Nietzsche claims, that a philosopher, to deserve our respect, must preach by example, you can appreciate the importance of that reply, for it will precede the definitive act. These are facts the heart can feel; yet they call for careful study before they become clear to the intellect. If I ask myself how to judge that this question is more urgent than that, I reply that one judges by the actions it entails. I have never seen anyone die for the ontological argument.”
— Albert Camus