Camus biography 2013 gmc

Abstracts

Kimberly Baltzar-Jaray: ‘Absurdism: The Second Truth of Philosophy’

When one surveys the history of early modern/modern philosophy, specifically the ideas and theories that fall within the domain of metaphysics and epistemology, one quickly realizes the presence of the absurd, sitting there like a pink elephant in the room, unacknowledged or at times purposely ignored.  Descartes may have uncovered the indubitable primary truth – ‘I think, therefore I am’ - but Camus called out what I believe is the indubitable secondary truth of philosophy - human attempts to know everything and the purpose of it all are met with a silent, indifferent, impenetrable universe that defeats every attempt.  This is why practically every treatise written during the period inevitably fails or must admit God into the picture as the ultimate explanation and designer (and the inevitable notion of how small our minds are in comparison to God comes about to explain why we are having