Absurdism

Absurdism arose as a response to nihilism (separate entry); and, although both grapple with the meaning(lessness) of existence, absurdism differs from nihilism in its response to such absence of meaning. The absurd describes the tension between humanity’s impulse to grapple with life’s purpose yet never being able to find an adequate answer. The classic example of such absurdity is “The Myth of Sisyphus,” where Sisyphus must push his boulder up the mountain only to watch it tumble again in an endless cycle of “futility and hopeless labor.” Here, the myth illustrates the paradox of absurdism: human beings try to discover the meaning of existence despite all their reasons rolling down from the mountaintop - that is, searching for meaning in meaninglessness. With humanity’s fate mirroring Sisyphus’, reason cannot derive a fundamental purpose of life - it is impossible to do so, as herein lies the limits of reasoning. Then, the ultimate question is why we should continue to live and reason in such a meaningless existence if that is intellectually dishonest. Opposite to suicide and irrational hope, there is rebellion. To rebel means to live without escape, maintaining this tension, a paradox, of human existence - much like Sisyphus' absurd and futile struggle. Absurdism thus moves past nihilism in that it provides an explanation for how to deal with a world seemingly without meaning - whilst nihilists merely acknowledge that there is none. The topics of absurdism, nihilism, existentialism, etc. are greatly interconnected - many times developing as a response to the other, but each has their own response and explanation for the meaning and existence of human life. The 'Key Figures' section details a few philosophers/writers who are involved in this field of meaning, existence, and the absurd.