Albert Camus, Lecture 1: Philosophical Suicide and The Absurd

As someone who has suffered a variety of mental health issues, this philosophy helps me to feel less useless about the time I "lost" or "wasted" during difficult psychological times, because, if I understand this philosophy correctly, at least I got really close to the actual meaning of life. Makes the pain, shame and regret less of a burden for some reason.

What a wonderful time we live in that lectures of this quality are freely available! Thank you for this.

I was desperately looking for an in-depth discussion on Camus's philosophy concerning the Absurd and his book in general on YT. I couldn't be more grateful to have found your lecture video. Your deliverance of Camus's philosophy was simultaneously educative and admirably captivating. Thank you.

Once you get over the shock of ridding yourself of magical thinking, and embracing the absurdity of life, once you climb out of that deep hole religion and culture left us in, only then you can enjoy life's gift, in every moment. Thank you for the great lecture.

Good reference to Fall Out 4.

Camus is my favorite, because I went through an existential crisis, and this explains kind of what I went through, in one way or another, and offers some kind of substantial understanding for me.

Not only does becoming an Absurd Person make the world more mysterious, I also feel that once the idea that life is meaningless fully sets in, it is hard to shake it. Even if you tried to commit philosophical suicide it would be difficult because you are constantly questioning and the thoughts would linger.

The fact that this type of information exists on the internet for free. Thank you for sharing something powerful and meaningful with the world.

We are afraid of life. We have no faith in ourselves or our institutions. Our civilisation is eating itself from within. We hate ourselves for all our cowardly compromises. We believe in nothing and relapse into puerile hedonism or fashionable outrage.We despise our bosses and hate our jobs. We feel our lives to be futile and senseless.We are Dostoyevsky's superfluous men. Hello to all of you out there my fellow Absurd Men! Thank you Eric for your lecture. You say difficult things in a simple way - an art in itself. Bukowski's "Hug the Dark" says it better than I do.

Men this is such a good video, even with gaming references, I hope more people can hear this words of wisdom

I am in my mid 20 and my philosophical knowledge carving me alive... this is like an intoxication a cheap drug... my super power is i can stare to a wall for hours

hey Eric Dodson I'm some random 19 dude from Victoria BC but u changed my life man, sometimes it's hard to sit and read a book with full attentiveness and understanding but these lectures have inspired me to continue my reading of the Myth of Sisyphus and to pursue a life doesn't need meaning and to be okay with it.

My boy had my curiosity and then he busted out Fallout references and had my attention. Amazing lecture.

One of the unfortunate side effects of education is it demystifies the world. A tree is "just" a tree. Everything is defined and labeled and we lose at an early age the ability to experience the world as mysterious and magical. It's kind of disturbing that the human brain takes so easily to this demystification of reality.

Remarkably explained. This lecture deserves 1 million likes.

thank you for making these and providing them free to everyone. there are very few videos doing deep-dives longer than 15-minute synopses of Camus.

0:00 Introductory quote by Camus 2:29 Responding to Absurdity of Life 3:30 Philosophical Killing off of inquiry 🧐 4:15 Belief in God 5:14 Life doesn’t provide or tell answers to our human destiny 9:10 Christian Worldview: Virtue, Redemption of sin, recognition of God 11:00 All Religions provide this worldview ‘12:42 Just Deserves or Just Dessert

Thank you so much for making your lectures public - they are incredibly valuable.

This is a wonderful thing to listen to while drawing, thank you!

This has to be one of the most engaging lectures I've ever found on youtube. Thank you !