An Individual as a Free and Responsible Agent

I remember the day I was introduced to existentialism I was really confused by the philosophy and even more confused when I had to respond to some existential ideals. I found myself trying not to contradict myself but clearly struggled. However, as I started reading The Stranger I came across many of these ideals and found myself changing my mind over what I had responded. Not the same happened for all the questions. For some, I kept my opinion regarding them, however, I understood Camus’ point of view towards them by the actions or things Meursault did.

Meursault obviously was an atheist and he believed “we are alone”, that God doesn’t exist. He didn’t believe in God and made it very clear when he was with the chaplain, and he told him he did not believe God existed nor did he want to waste his last hours talking about someone he did not even believe existed.

Another important statement is the one “where existence is essentially absurd” and “everybody exists but there is no reason as to why”. This is exactly why Meursault did not care about the yesterday or the tomorrow. He only cared to continue his routine. That is why he did not mind death, because essentially everyone would end the same why so why bother grieving over it. A connection I made between “We are alone” and the “existence is absurd” is when the chaplain asks him, ”And do you really live with the thought that when you die, you die, and nothing remains?” (Pg. 116) Meursault only answers yes. Meaning he doesn’t believe what we do in this life has a meaning that will influence our afterlife (as a religious belief). He doesn’t believe in the “final judgment” that Christians believe in, when you die you just die period. That is why existence is absurd and there is no reason as to why we exist. We just do and then die nothing complicated about it.

Another statement that was very controversial during our class discussion but in the novel is very straightforward was “mankind has free will”. Obviously Camus doesn’t see it that way. Throughout the novel Meursault is trying to fight society by being different in every sense trying to obtain that free will, however in the end he is condemned because of it. If we really think about it Meursault is not really judged on killing the Arab, he is really being judged for being different form what society expects for having that freewill. So Meursault is killed for wanting to be free from a society that ties people and makes them the same, for wanting, and having freewill… Rational?