concept
The Absurd
Camus's term for the clash between humans' search for meaning and a universe that offers none.
Origin
Albert Camus argued that human beings naturally crave meaning, but the universe gives no answer back. He called the resulting tension 'the absurd.' His answer, in The Myth of Sisyphus, was not despair but defiance: live anyway, fully and consciously.
Modern usage
Common in essays, criticism, and existential discussions of work, climate, and modernity.
Tags
existentialism
meaning
Related
character
Greek Mythology
Sisyphus
The king condemned to roll a boulder uphill forever, only for it to roll back each time.
concept
Philosophy & Psychology
Nihilism
The view that life has no inherent meaning, purpose, or moral order.
phrase
Philosophy & Psychology
Existential Crisis
A moment when one's sense of meaning, identity, or purpose collapses.