Why Camus Matters

Explores how the writings of Albert Camus matter in the 2020s, as a profoundly independent thinker who addressed problems which trouble us today: those of nihilism, hatred, incivility, ecological collapse and authoritarianism

Albert Camus is a thinker who matters deeply for the 21st century.

Camus was a man of the Left, without believing in inevitable progress; he wrestled with nihilism but only in order to seek paths beyond it; he repudiated belief in God yet wrestled profoundly with religious questions; he defended “Western civilization” and adored the ancient Greeks, whilst denouncing reactionary politics; he explored the darkest human experiences, yet defended moderation, love and dialogue.

He matters today, firstly, because the problems he addressed remain ours: widespread cynicism and despair, democratic collapse, the rise of authoritarianisms, alienation from nature and a fascination with extremes. Secondly, because the solutions he explored to these problems were so highly original and balanced, relative to more widely-credited schools of thought: whether liberalism, Marxism, or fascism, or existentialism, postmodernism, or postcolonialism.

This book, written by an established expert on Camus’ work, can serve for new readers as an introduction to Camus’ philosophical ideas. More than another critical commentary. Why Camus Matters engages Camus in our contemporary debates, seeking in his thinking a thread out of the labyrinth of the global culture wars, and sources of democratic renewal.