Talk

Sisyphus an absurd hero

The tale of sisyphus is about an ancient highwayman who was sentenced by the gods for eternity to roll a large rock up a hill. No sooner did the rock reach atop the hill did it descend back to its initial position with a weary Sisyphus following it. Albert Camus the existentialist used Sisyphus to point out the inherent absurdness of our life. When Camus toured America he found that people were equating existentialism to a sort of hopeless philosophy. Existentialism, acknowledges the implicit lack of purpose to our lives, but Camus believed a life of devoid of hope did not preclude its enjoyment. He pointed out that when Sisyphus turned around to begin his trek back to the base of the mountain he was a metaphor for our lives. That even as we are subjugated by the every day dreariness of our lives we must like Sisyphus return to it while enjoying it.

Personally, I prefer solipsism when confronted with the bleakness of reality. If I can convince myself the banality of my existence and the vicissitudes that beset me are in the end my own creation, then I just might be able to survive it through some combination of maladroit perseverence and wishful thinking.