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Full Idea
There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide. Judgine whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy.
Gist of Idea
Suicide - whether life is worth living - is the one serious philosophical problem
Source
Albert Camus (The Myth of Sisyphus [1942], p.11)
Book Ref
Camus,Albert: 'The Myth of Sisyphus', ed/tr. O'Brien,Justin [Penguin 1975], p.11
A Reaction
What a wonderful thesis for a book. In Idea 2682 there is the possibility of life being worth living, but not worth a huge amount of effort. It is better to call Camus' question the first question, rather than the only question.
Related Idea
Idea 2682 Aristotle thinks human life is not important enough to spend a whole life on it [Nagel on Aristotle]
| 9244 | Logic is easy, but what about logic to the point of death? [Camus] |
| 9243 | If we believe existence is absurd, this should dictate our conduct [Camus] |
| 9242 | Essential problems either risk death, or intensify the passion of life [Camus] |
| 9248 | It is essential to die unreconciled and not of one's own free will [Camus] |
| 9249 | Whether we are free is uninteresting; we can only experience our freedom [Camus] |
| 9247 | Life will be lived better if it has no meaning [Camus] |
| 9250 | Discussing ethics is pointless; moral people behave badly, and integrity doesn't need rules [Camus] |
| 9251 | One can be virtuous through a whim [Camus] |
| 9253 | The human heart has a tiresome tendency to label as fate only what crushes it [Camus] |
| 9252 | The more one loves the stronger the absurd grows [Camus] |
| 6707 | Suicide - whether life is worth living - is the one serious philosophical problem [Camus] |
| 6708 | Happiness and the absurd go together, each leading to the other [Camus] |
| 9245 | To an absurd mind reason is useless, and there is nothing beyond reason [Camus] |
| 9246 | Danger and integrity are not in the leap of faith, but in remaining poised just before the leap [Camus] |