Reclaiming Meaning from Sheer Meaninglessness: Re-reading Camus for Religion and Existential Psychotherapy

Abstract

Albert Camus’ existential trajectory is influenced by tragic events in the world particularly in Europe. His milieu seems to dialogue with our present context. Scholarly consensus has it that an emerging optimism slowly unfolded through his writings prior to his death. To present Camus’ philosophy in terms of the meaning of life is therefore an interesting inquiry considering this surprising shift. His thoughts remain until now relevant considering the horrendous impact of negative realities that beset humanity today similar to his time. The disturbing consequences of life throbs in the spirit of every well-meaning individual. The question of meaninglessness remains a relevant question especially among the young as well as the older generation struggling to integrate life’s experiences. Hence this paper is an attempt to re-articulate his thoughts to underscore the meaning of life from his classic works. In doing so, we propose to re-read Camus for religion and existential psychotherapeutic practice in general. The whole analysis will revolve around his classic works with additional references from other commentators. This re-reading of Camus’ works brings to dialogue the traditional tension between religious hope and Camus’ radical creative views.