Albert Camus' philosophy of Absurdism defines the irrational relationship between humans and the universe.

• Camus describes the Absurd as the conflict between the human quest for meaning and the universe's silence.
• The inherent nature of the universe is not absurd; the absurdity lies in our irrational relationship with it.
• While Camus is often considered an existentialist, he rejected this label, as well as that of an atheist.

Camus presents a complex view on God's existence and the human search for meaning.

• Camus asserts a paradoxical statement about belief in God, reflecting the notion of the Absurd.
• He believes the search for God's existence is humanly impossible, and so is proving God's non-existence.
• In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus describes the feeling of absurdity as a divorce between man and life.

Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus explores the concept of philosophical suicide and the fundamental question of life.

• Camus starts The Myth of Sisyphus with the contemplation of suicide as the primary philosophical problem.
• Philosophical suicide involves accepting convenient but unconvincing truths, akin to religious beliefs.

Kierkegaard's existentialism includes a critique of the established church and proposes a subjective leap of faith.

• Kierkegaard positions himself as a Christian who criticizes the lackadaisical religious adherence of his contemporaries.
• He contrasts the world's absurdity with the need to live in it and proposes a leap of faith as a solution.

Kierkegaard delves into the concepts of anxiety, freedom, and the dichotomy of the finite and infinite in human existence.

• Kierkegaard describes anxiety as the dizziness of freedom and explores the synthesis of the finite and infinite within the self.
• The struggle with the infinite possibilities and the overwhelm of making choices is a core part of human existence.

Kierkegaard's existentialism addresses the tension between finite actuality and the infinite possibilities of human life.

• Humans can become lost in the infinite, overwhelmed by possibilities, or trapped in the finite, conforming to societal expectations.
• Kierkegaard suggests that true freedom involves making conscious choices rather than being a passive part of the crowd.

Camus' opposition to religious faith is a response to Kierkegaard and Dostoevsky's paradoxical embrace of belief in God amid absurdity.

• Camus acknowledges the impossibility of proving God's existence but chooses to believe God cannot exist.
• He criticizes Kierkegaard and Dostoevsky for taking a leap into irrational faith as a response to the absurd.

Camus was influenced by Dostoevsky, especially his exploration of atheism and the implications of a godless world.

• Camus found inspiration in Dostoevsky's novels, particularly in the character of Ivan Karamazov.
• Dostoevsky's exploration of the meaning of life without God resonated with Camus' own beliefs.

Dostoevsky's character Kirillov in Demons embodies the struggle with the necessity of God and the choice to commit 'logical suicide'.

• Kirillov's reasoning is that if God does not exist, he must kill himself to become god.
• His suicide is seen as an act of love for humanity, illustrating a pedagogical and revolutionary intent.

Camus presents the Absurd Man as someone who acknowledges life's absurdity, rejects suicide, and embraces the struggle of existence.

• Suicide contradicts the freedom won by recognizing the absurd; it's an extreme acceptance of life's absurdity.
• Camus' Absurd Man lives with lucidity and revolt, finding meaning in the passionate embrace of existence.

Camus uses the myth of Sisyphus to illustrate the absurdity of human existence and the need to find happiness in the struggle.

• Sisyphus represents the eternal struggle of humans against futile endeavors, embodying the consciousness of our absurd condition.
• Camus believes in the joy of the struggle itself, imagining Sisyphus as happy despite his eternal punishment.

Revolt against the absurd is a conscious choice to affirm life and continue, making one's existence an act of rebellion.

• To revolt is to deny the absurdity of one's existence and to live authentically with the knowledge of the absurd.
• Camus' philosophy encourages living without appeal, making subjective choices, and embracing the absurd.

Camus' writing transforms religious metaphors into a secular reality, urging an extension of life on earth rather than an afterlife.

• Camus takes religious concepts and secularizes them into metaphors, which he then uses to articulate a reality of the absurd.
• He advocates for living in an eternal present, a repetition of moments, as his version of eternity.

Primo Levi, influenced by Camus' language, recounts a moment in a concentration camp that reinforced his secular beliefs.

• Levi resisted the temptation to pray during a moment of despair in the concentration camp, in line with Camus' absurd rebellion.
• Levi's experience confirmed his secular worldview and his rejection of any form of providence or transcendent justice.