The Rebel by Albert Camus

The Rebel by Albert Camus is a book-length essay that examines the metaphysical and historical development of rebellion and revolution in societies, particularly in Western Europe. In this work, Camus presents a new humanism rooted in the dignity of man and the value of human life.

He argues that rebellion and revolution are both motivated by a basic human rejection of normative justice, and that these acts stem from a contradiction between the human mind’s quest for clarification and the meaningless nature of the world.

Camus also makes a distinction between true and false freedom, claiming that artistic and intellectual figures like the Marquis de Sade, who sought to overthrow traditional morality, were actually seeking false freedom.

The main themes of The Rebel include the motivation for rebellion and revolution, the realization that life is absurd, and the notion of revolt as a constant confrontation between man and his own obscurity.

Camus argues that revolt gives life its value, and that the point of life is to live and to live freely. He also states that there is no grand scale or absolute ideal by which we can measure the value of things. Finally, he crystallizes the attitude of revolt in the character of Sisyphus, a figure from Greek myth.

Main Points

• Rebellion and revolution are both motivated by a basic human rejection of normative justice.
• The realization that life is absurd should be seen as a beginning, not an end – flipping the idea on its head allows it to be useful as a thinking tool.
• Revolt gives life its value and the point of life is to live and to live freely.
• There is no grand scale or absolute ideal by which we can measure the value of things.
• Artistic and intellectual figures like the Marquis de Sade were actually seeking false freedom.

What I Liked

It’s interesting to see some of Camus’ personal philosophy laid out in essay form. I also loved how he provides a strong counter to “both sides” or “either/or” thinking among the religion vs. no religion people. He shows that that binary argument leads both sides (ironically) to a contradictory / hypocritical place.

What I Did Not Like

It’s definitely not as good as his novels. I definitely would quibble with a lot of his main points, though they are provocative.