Camus and the climate crisis

Abstract

Flooded by rising seas and resurgent nationalist politics, ours is a world in peril. How should we comport ourselves for the climate crisis? To answer this question, this essay reviews several works of Albert Camus, the prescient Algerian-French philosopher of the previous century. Camus's concept of the Absurd may help us understand our plight in a changing climate, whereas his ethic of rebellion advises a way of living that begets solidarity in crisis and affirms a shared humanity. Camus's ideas have urgent relevance today, and we ought to heed them as we carry on the fight for climate action.

Keywords

• Climate crisis
• Albert Camus
• Absurdism
• rebellion