Post Number 1: Who is Absurd Man (and Woman)

Bill Wahl, Absurd Man Tour Guide

Absurdism Today is here to remind us that the existence of the universe is entirely unreasonable. This monthly blog is for every aspiring absurdest.

 What is Absurdism?
Absurdism is a philosophical school of thought stating that it is not possible for humanity to find inherent meaning or value in existence. The key to understanding this view is the emphasis on inherent meaning or value. Absurdism does not suggest that it is impossible for individuals to experience any aspect of existence as meaningful or as having value (this cup of coffee has value to me… I may experience a role I play as having meaning). Rather, Absurdism states that it is not possible to understand any ultimate or universal meaning behind the existence of the universe and my experience within it. The efforts of humanity to find inherent or intrinsic meaning will ultimately fail because the sheer amount of information as well as the vast realm of the unknown make certainty impossible. The distinction between personal meaning/value and inherent meaning/value is critical, and, for those who can look at it, changes everything.

What is the absurd?
 While the absurd can certainly be described in philosophical terms, it is first and foremost an experience. The experience of the absurd arises when I am aware of a contradiction between my need to understand why or how the universe exists, and the fact that there is no available rational explanation. As a human being, my nature is to want to have an answer, and yet the universe "is silent". This contradiction between my need to understand the ultimate meaning of existence and my inability to understand is the experience of the absurd.

 "Isn't it the moment of most profound doubt that gives birth to new certainties? Perhaps hopelessness is the very soil that nourishes human hope; perhaps one could never find sense in life without first experiencing its absurdity..." . - Vaclav Havel

 Another manifestation of the absurd is my obvious desire to continue existing and the fact that I am going to die. But these are just words. The experience of the absurd can be triggered by strange circumstances and can come upon us at unexpected times. It happens in a moment when I am quite aware that I exist - that the universe exists - and yet I might think, "this just seems impossible", or "what is the point of all this?" 

I don't know what this guy is doing

Who is the Absurd Man? Note: The term "Absurd Man" always refers to men and woman  
 To explain who the Absurd Man is, it's helpful to explain what he or she is not. Most people cannot bear to accept the absurdity of existence, and  so, as Albert Camus explained, they find one of two ways to avoid the absurd. Some people escape the absurd through suicide. Others escape the absurd by adopting a metaphysical ideology which claims to explain everything about why and how we exist (which is a sort of intellectual suicide). Absurd Man is someone who rejects both physical suicide and blind faith as acceptable responses to the inexplicable fact of existence. Absurd Man insists on believing only what she can know. In other words, Absurd Man does not run away from the contradictory and mysterious nature of existence – instead, she accepts it and faces up to it. 

 "A world that can be explained even with bad reasons is a familiar world. But, on the other hand, in a universe divested of its illusions and lights, man feels an alien, a stranger." - Albert Camus

So to really understand Absurd Man, we must understand the consequences of accepting that existence does not ultimately explain itself and that there is no pre-packaged faith or ideology which can tell us how to act, value or think. Accepting the absurdity of existence is, in a sense, a “good news – bad news” scenario. Because Absurd Man insists on accepting only that which he can know to be true, he relinquishes all the guidance and comfort offered by religious faiths or non-religious ideologies (such as can be found in many New Age Philosophies). Furthermore, because Absurd Man does not accept direction from metaphysical ideologies, she becomes responsible for creating her own value system. In other words, if Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, or astrology are no more than stories designed to give comfort and provide us with various "brands" of universal meaning, then Absurd Man must find his own way. This is why Absurd Man can sometimes feel “homeless”, or in the words of Camus, “as exiled" or "a stranger". 

You can't be serious!

But while the loss of any universal explanation for existence can be disorientating, it offers the most profound form of responsibility and freedom. Absurd Man may have lost the comfort and apparent “clarity” of a convenient metaphysical ideology, but she is no longer bound by any such ideology. As a result, Absurd Man can sometimes feel lonely, anxious, and uncertain… but she is also free to create a life on her terms, and is responsible for its success or failure. Her value system must ultimately come from her and not from any external authority. This fact helps us understand another feature of Absurd Man’s character: Courage. And to the character traits of freedom, responsibility, and courage, we can add another feature: A capacity to appreciate the strange or mysterious nature of existence. Ask a Christian why a certain flower exists and they may answer, “because God made it” or “because god loves you”. Ask Absurd Man why the same flower exists and he may tell you, “I honestly don’t know”. But the existence of that flower may have a compelling strangeness which a Christian cannot comprehend. And, Absurd Man may have to study that flower in greater depth because she has not already accepted an answer which has been given in an altogether too easy manner. When you can accept the absurd, the strangeness of existence and the need for discovery takes on a peculiar fascination. 

I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation - or not.

Please stay tuned for further installments of Absurdism Today. Next time we learn about some of history's top absurdest thinkers and you get to see a photo of a man giving two swans the finger.

Please check out B. Wahl's novel, The Art of Impossibility, available at Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. Use the book title as your search term. Thank you.