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Abstract. In this essay, I compare Albert Camus's conception of rebellion as a response to the absurd to Friedrich Nietzsche's notion that humor can become rebellious and assist us in the struggle against nihilism. I show that Camus advocated rebellion as a response to nihilism and vehemently opposed the tendency to become hopeless or cynical. Unlike Camus, Nietzsche supported responding to nihilism with humor and laughter rather than with defiance or scorn. I conclude by examining the type of humor that is rebellious in nature, and show that it can assist us in the struggle against nihilism.
Throughout his relatively short life, Albert Camus struggled with nihilism and the absurd nature of human existence. Indeed, many of his writings deal with the problem of nihilism and with the issues of suicide, murder, suffering, and mass death. Always serious in his writings yet never resorting to cynicism or despair, Camus advocated rebellion as a response to nihilism. The choice of rebellion as a response to the absurdity of human existence makes sense when one realizes that his life spanned the two world wars, the horrors of the concentration camps, and the repression of innocent civilians all over the world, from South America to Algeria. Perhaps Camus's tumultuous background helps to explain why his writings tend to be so solemn, and why his characters do not laugh much and generally do not display a sense of humor. This context may also account for the fact that he never really imagined, as one of his mentors, Friedrich Nietzsche, did, that humor and laughter, much like rebellion, could constitute a legitimate response to nihilism. Inspired by Camus's notion of rebellion as a response to the absurd, this essay explores how humor can become rebellious and assist us in the struggle against nihilism. However, I begin my analysis by demonstrating that Camus was heavily influenced by Nietzsche's conception of nihilism. I then describe Camus's struggle with and reaction to the absurd nature of human existence by highlighting his portrayal of nihilism in a number of works, including The Myth of Sisyphus, The Rebel, The Stanger, and The Plague. I show how Camus advocated rebellion as a response to nihilism and vehemently opposed the tendency to become hopeless or cynical....