Free Will or Determinism: What Does Camus Think?

Free will is the idea that people are in control of their own behavior and their actions result from a conscious decision. The free will ideology also states past events will not implicitly influence present or future actions. Finally, free will says that we are wholly responsible for our actions.

Determinism is that idea that everyone’s course of action is predetermined. Determinism would mean that if we were to go back in time and relive what we have already experienced, no events or conditions would be altered. Conversely, determinism says if we were able to gather substantial information, we could accurately predict the future.

What does Camus think?
Albert Camus believes in a person’s ability to have free will that within what is predetermined and has a novel hypothesis about consciousness. In his essay on Sisyphus he writes, “If this myth is tragic, that is because its hero is conscious” (2). His argument says by maintaining the illusion of free will we are able to avoid tragedy. There are certain things we are fated to do; certain toils we must endure, certain successes we will have, certain journeys we will go on. But how we get from point A to point B—what music we listen to while we do our chores, what color pen we will use on the science test we are about to ace, whether to take I-290 or side streets to get downtown—is where we can exercise our freedom. The major plot points are already laid out, but we get to write in the details.

We must be careful, he implies, of getting too caught up in the things we cannot control, because by doing so we will find ourselves disheartened and stagnant. We must find where freedom hides and savor it when we do.

Does Meursault have Emotions or is He a Sociopath??

A sociopath is a person with a personality disorder that manifests itself as extreme anxiety and a lack of conscience. Throughout The Stranger, Meursault consistently shows little emotion towards the things around him. In the most recent chapters when Meursault goes to prison for murder, he does not seem to feel emotion about it and just wants to pass the time in whatever way he can. Even though he has a serious girlfriend, when she comes to visit, he is happy to see her, but after she is gone, rarely thinks about her. This shows that even though he has these relationships he only sees life as something that he has to get through. Furthermore, unlike the other prisoners, he is able to get used to prison life and almost doesn't understand how bad it is supposed to be. He does not feel extreme misery towards everything and instead thinks that everything is basically normal. He doesn't miss the people in his life outside of prison and seems to leave everything behind, rarely thinking about them. Relating to the definition of sociopath, Meursault has not shown any sadness about being in prison and does not even begin to feel guilt about the murder that he committed. A sociopath shares similar thoughts, almost seeing the world as a black and white place where nothing truly matters.

What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger

Everyone suffers in life. Whether it is having divorced parents, getting dumped by your best friend, or having a mental illness- life is hard. And while there are definitely degrees of suffering, I believe that no one person's suffering is lesser than someone else's.

I would never compare Frankl's experience in Auschwitz to my struggle with an eating disorder, but I think both incidences are just as significant. As individuals, we are affected by things in completely different ways and something that seems trivial to me, can mean the end of the world to someone else.

Anyways, now that we know that suffering is inevitable- the question is what does suffering do to us? Does it make us stronger? Does it make us resent the world? How much suffering is too much? Is there such thing as too much suffering?

While there is no definitive answer to these questions, I think that they are important concepts to consider when discussing human suffering. From my experience, suffering makes us stronger. After having been in and out of hospitals for various mental illnesses, I know that I am capable of anything. While my past does not define me, it does demonstrate my strength and courage.

With that said, I do think that at some point, humans can break. When the suffering intensifies to the point where there is no end in sight, we do sometimes give up. I don't really know what parts of a human determine whether or not they will give up, but to some extent, I think you are born with strength. Frankl is one example of a strong individual. There were definitely more men and women like Frankl in the concentration camps, but there were also men and women who gave up and succumbed to their demise.

The concept of human struggling will never be "solved," but since suffering is seen all around us, I think that it is important to discuss.