concept
The Absurd
Camus's term for the clash between humans' search for meaning and a universe that offers none.
Origin
Albert Camus argued that human beings naturally crave meaning, but the universe gives no answer back. He called the resulting tension 'the absurd.' His answer, in The Myth of Sisyphus, was not despair but defiance: live anyway, fully and consciously.
Modern usage
Common in essays, criticism, and existential discussions of work, climate, and modernity.
Tags
existentialism
meaning