Hailing from the ever-growing anti-intellectualism movement, the internet hosts yet another argument, this time regarding the late French–Algerian author, Albert Camus. Antagonizing the previous consensus, a minority argues that Camus fails to fit the definition of a philosopher, and the recent romanticization of his works has resulted in his shallow overglorification. However, immature perspectives of Camus should not detract from his merit — Camus not only fits the definition of a philosopher, but exemplifies it.
In his time, Camus expressed his ideas on humanity and its place in the universe through multiple literary mediums, including collections of short stories, novellas, novels, plays and essays. From 1935 to 1960, Camus and his philosophy — alongside his contemporaries’ ideologies and philosophical innovation as a whole — endured and conformed to the irreparable ghastliness of World War II. Theology slowly faded in popularity; the notion of a meaningless world rose in prominence with Marxism, nihilism and existentialism serving as the forefront of this ideological frontier. Camus expressed this newfound meaninglessness primarily through his works of fiction, with the narratives in his writings acting as metaphors for the absurdity of this world. Camus’ newfound context for figurative rhetoric pushed the boundaries of ideological exhibition in philosophical literature as a genre.
“A philosopher is a thinker, someone who wants to know the world around us in a deeper context. But specifically one that writes about it and spreads it to other people. Philosophy brings us together as a society and has fostered debates for centuries. Philosophy brought us to the world we know,” magnet junior Mya Black said.
Camus philosophized in an unconventional way; rather than acting as a wedge in the growing crack of misunderstanding between philosophers and society, he mediated the disconnect by authoring comprehensible ideas in a familiar format. Camus wrote his narratives in a simple yet ambiguous way, leaving critics and readers alike debating his novella, “The Stranger,” “L’Étranger” in French, since its 1942 publication. Controversy brewed over the stylistic value of Camus’s short, simple sentences and his seemingly meaningless evolution of the plot. This literary phenomenon attracted the widest interest — its accessibility and controversy harbored no limit to craze. Thus, even those lacking precursory knowledge of philosophy found appeal in Camus. Those refusing to admit Camus the title of philosopher commonly cite the tendency for underdeveloped minds to gravitate towards his literature as proof of his inadequacy. Those critical of Camus believe this trend of popularity and its companioned uneducated interpretations speak to the quality of Camus’ works and philosophy.
Whilst inarguably his novels frequently arouse the interest of premature thinkers, this trend does not decisively reflect on Camus’ philosophical maturity. He may not have laid a laundry list of premises or recited formal logic in the presentation of his philosophy, but anyone capable of introducing a naive audience to a complex realm of thought certainly understands what they preach. Simplicity does not imply a shallow comprehension — it instead requires a complete understanding of oneself and their philosophy. Only then can one convey their ideas in a massively digestible manner.
“When somebody has a novel way of thinking of something — whether it is metaphysical, epistemological, ethical or aesthetical — [and] if it resonates with enough people, people start to coalesce around that idea; that probably makes someone a philosopher. It probably is not something one sets out to put on their resume. If a writer is making a philosophy palatable to the masses because it is using examples to illustrate what that philosophy looks like, I think that is every bit the work of a philosopher,” Advanced Placement (AP) Seminar and AP English Language and Composition teacher Dr. Krista Wilson said.
The term philosophy derives from the Greek words philos, meaning lover, and sophia, meaning wisdom. Camus pioneered existentialist thought, inventing absurdism along the way; if one denounces Camus as a lover of wisdom — a route unconsidered by his peers, exemplified by their praise for his works — philosophy should cease to exist from a lack of qualified philosophers. Rather than slandering the innumerable readers drawn to his literature, those familiar with the field of thought should promote the further consumption of increasingly complex philosophical works; criticizing the simplicity of popular philosophy only dissuades aspiring learners from the discipline. Camus’s work demands praise for its innovation of philosophical expression. The definition of a philosopher should encompass its meaning rather than gatekeep the accessibility of a societally important discipline.
