Abstract

This dissertation is A Critique of Camus’s Concept of Absurdity. There are three objectives of this research. Objective 1 of this research is to study Camus’s Concept of Absurdity. Objective 2 of this research is to study the Ethics in Camus’s Concept of Absurdity. Objective 3 of this research is to study the concept of Buddhist Ethics. Objective 4 of this research is to analyze and to debate in Ethics of Camus’s Concept of Absurdity in Theravāda Buddhist Ethical Perspectives. This research is a qualitative research.

The first objective of this research is found that absurdity is defined as the confrontation between the human’s doubts targeting to find out the answer for the calm world. The absurdity of life takes place from the interaction between the human beings and the external world as a result of conflict between the human beings’ beliefs in rationality and absurdity of the external world. Camus concludes the natural characteristics of the human beings that it consists of several feelings which are anxiousness, guilty, meaning of life demand, and freedom. The human extremely desires a successful life, reputation and the fear of death. Nonetheless, Camus encourages the human beings not to despair. On the other hand, they should have reasons of having life continuously, should struggle for justice and should preserve the personal freedom not to be grasped by any groups of people or social illogical rules. The second objective of this research is found that the ethics of Camus’s concept of absurdity arose from the rebellion against the traditional concepts of social ethics which are of the attempts to set forth the goal of life in stereotype, in particular, according to the Christian faith and social norms. The purpose of life is the happiness which comes from the freedom. The human beings have the freedom to make their own decisions. Camus did not concern about the controversy in metaphysics. Indeed, whether the human beings have the free wills or not. Camus just wants to present the idea that the human should use freedom in order to live happily. The result of the study of Camus’s concept on freedom is soft determinism. Camus believed that no rules are absolute. The human beings are influenced or oppressed by various factors. However, the human beings have freedom and must make their own decisions. The third objective of this research is found that the main cores of Buddhist ethics are not to do evil, to do good deed, and to purify mind. The ultimate aim of life which based on the Buddhist ethics is nirvana. The fourth objective of this research is found that some parts of Camus’s concept on freedom are similar to the Buddhist ethics the concept of freedom. The human beings have freedom under limitation. The human beings can decide to do or not to do the things but they cannot control the natural laws or the past events. Camus did not agree with determinism that Sisyphus has no freedom. Everything is under God’s curse. His view is that every human being has his own freedom to live under limitation. Once, the human being makes his own decision. He must take his own responsibility.  In Buddhism it is said that it is the law of karma. It is the result of our own past actions and our own present ones. Camus’s absurdity and ethical criteria in Buddhist ethics are similar. In Buddhist ethics, the factor causing human beings to give meaning of the life to the world and to bring the misery is the passion. The Camus’s concepts are the acceptance of the real conditions and the existence of human beings. Human beings must use freedom to create their meaning of lives in the absurd world.

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