Camus’s Idea of the Absurd and His play Caligula

Çağan Bir

Makale detayları

Camus’s Idea of the Absurd and His play Caligula

Yazarlar:

Çağan Bir

Yayıncı:

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Ana Başlıklar:

Sistematik Felsefe (Diğer)

Dergi:

Akademi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.12 Issue 34, pp.1-16

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

1/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340007

pISSN:

2667-4866

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 The basis of Camus philosophy is based on the idea of the absurd. The absurd is not simply irrationality. It is the confrontation between human will and the world that is alien to it. With his absurd thought, Camus criticizes the ideas which he calls as the philosophies of reason and being. Camus highlights rebellion instead of these philosophies which he considers as a philosophical suicide against the absurd. There is a change in Camus moral philosophy over time. Instead of understanding, accepting and rebelling against the absurd, in Camus play Caligula, the character Caligula wants to try to cope with the absurd in different ways and overcome it. According to Camus, this is impossible. Caligula seeks the impossible - absolute freedom and absolute power. In his philosophy, Camus has abandoned the morality of quantity and emphasized solidarity, the value of man as an individual and some universal values. The claim of the study is to show that Caligula is in a false rebellion according to Camuss thoughts in his first and second periods. Because Caligula is a nihilistic figure who wants to commit suicide. With the transformation in Camus philosophy, the falsity of Caligulas rebellion is viewed more clearly. The mistake Camus makes in his early philosophy is to equate consolation and hope. However, hope is not an escape from reality. He himself has realized this. Therein lies the philosophical confusion of Camus: The escape from the absurd and the desire to make the world a better place are intermingled. Meaning must not be substituted for absurdity, and at the same time certain values must be meanings. The aim of this study is to discuss how the ideas of both his first and second periods are treated in the play Caligula and thus to make some determinations about Camus philosophical transformation.

 The basis of Camus philosophy is based on the idea of the absurd. The absurd is not simply irrationality. It is the confrontation between human will and the world that is alien to it. With his absurd thought, Camus criticizes the ideas which he calls as the philosophies of reason and being. Camus highlights rebellion instead of these philosophies which he considers as a philosophical suicide against the absurd. There is a change in Camus moral philosophy over time. Instead of understanding, accepting and rebelling against the absurd, in Camus play Caligula, the character Caligula wants to try to cope with the absurd in different ways and overcome it. According to Camus, this is impossible. Caligula seeks the impossible - absolute freedom and absolute power. In his philosophy, Camus has abandoned the morality of quantity and emphasized solidarity, the value of man as an individual and some universal values. The claim of the study is to show that Caligula is in a false rebellion according to Camuss thoughts in his first and second periods. Because Caligula is a nihilistic figure who wants to commit suicide. With the transformation in Camus philosophy, the falsity of Caligulas rebellion is viewed more clearly. The mistake Camus makes in his early philosophy is to equate consolation and hope. However, hope is not an escape from reality. He himself has realized this. Therein lies the philosophical confusion of Camus: The escape from the absurd and the desire to make the world a better place are intermingled. Meaning must not be substituted for absurdity, and at the same time certain values must be meanings. The aim of this study is to discuss how the ideas of both his first and second periods are treated in the play Caligula and thus to make some determinations about Camus philosophical transformation.

 The basis of Camus philosophy is based on the idea of the absurd. The absurd is not simply irrationality. It is the confrontation between human will and the world that is alien to it. With his absurd thought, Camus criticizes the ideas which he calls as the philosophies of reason and being. Camus highlights rebellion instead of these philosophies which he considers as a philosophical suicide against the absurd. There is a change in Camus moral philosophy over time. Instead of understanding, accepting and rebelling against the absurd, in Camus play Caligula, the character Caligula wants to try to cope with the absurd in different ways and overcome it. According to Camus, this is impossible. Caligula seeks the impossible - absolute freedom and absolute power. In his philosophy, Camus has abandoned the morality of quantity and emphasized solidarity, the value of man as an individual and some universal values. The claim of the study is to show that Caligula is in a false rebellion according to Camuss thoughts in his first and second periods. Because Caligula is a nihilistic figure who wants to commit suicide. With the transformation in Camus philosophy, the falsity of Caligulas rebellion is viewed more clearly. The mistake Camus makes in his early philosophy is to equate consolation and hope. However, hope is not an escape from reality. He himself has realized this. Therein lies the philosophical confusion of Camus: The escape from the absurd and the desire to make the world a better place are intermingled. Meaning must not be substituted for absurdity, and at the same time certain values must be meanings. The aim of this study is to discuss how the ideas of both his first and second periods are treated in the play Caligula and thus to make some determinations about Camus philosophical transformation.

 Camusnün felsefesinin temeli saçma düşüncesine dayanmaktadır. Saçma basitçe akıl dışılık değildir. İnsanın istemi ve ona yabancı olan dünyanın karşı karşıya gelmesidir. Camus saçma düşüncesiyle akıl ve varlık felsefeleri olarak adlandırdığı düşüncelerin eleştirisini yapmaktadır. Camus saçma karşısında felsefi intihar olarak gördüğü bu felsefelerin yerine başkaldırıyı öne çıkarmıştır. Camusnün ahlak felsefesinde zamanla bir değişim yaşanmıştır. Camusnün Caligula adlı oyununda Caligula karakteri saçmayı anlamak ve kabullenerek ona başkaldırmak yerine saçmayla farklı şekillerde baş etmeye çalışmak ve onu aşmak istemektedir. Camusye göre ise bu olanaksızdır. Caligula olanaksızın, yani mutlak özgürlük ve mutlak iktidarın peşindedir. Camus, felsefesinde nicelik ahlakını terk ederek dayanışmayı, insanın birey olarak değerini ve bazı evrensel değerleri ön plana çıkarmıştır. Çalışmanın iddiası Caligulanın, Camusnün ilk dönemindeki ve ikinci dönemindeki düşüncelerine göre yanlış bir başkaldırı içinde olduğunu göstermektir. Çünkü Caligula intihar isteği duyan nihilistik bir figürdür. Camusnün felsefesindeki dönüşümle Caligulanın başkaldırısındaki yanlışlık daha belirgin olarak görülmektedir. Camusnün erken felsefesinde yaptığı hata, avuntu ve umudun eşitlenmesidir. Halbuki umut gerçeklikten bir kaçış değildir. Kendisi de bunu fark etmiştir. Fakat Camusnün içinden çıkamadığı felsefi karmaşa şurada yatmaktadır: Saçmadan kaçış ve dünyayı daha iyi bir yer haline getirme isteği birbirine karışmaktadır. Anlam hem saçmanın yerine ikame edilmemelidir hem de belirli değerler anlamlar olmak zorundadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı hem ilk dönemindeki hem de ikinci dönemindeki düşüncelerin Caligula oyununda nasıl işlendiğini tartışmak ve böylece Camusnün felsefi dönüşümüne dair bazı saptamalarda bulunmaktır.

Makale detayları

Camus’s Idea of the Absurd and His play Caligula

Yazarlar:

Çağan Bir

Yayıncı:

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Ana Başlıklar:

Sistematik Felsefe (Diğer)

Dergi:

Akademi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.12 Issue 34, pp.1-16

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

1/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340007

pISSN:

2667-4866

Caligula

Absurd

Rebellion

Reason

Morality.Caligula

Saçma

Başkaldırı

Akıl

Ahlak.

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Çağan Bir

Yayıncı: Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Ana Başlıklar: Sistematik Felsefe (Diğer)

Dergi: Akademi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.12 Issue 34, pp.1-16

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 1/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001340007

pISSN: 2667-4866

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Çağan Bir

Yayıncı:

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Ana Başlıklar:

Sistematik Felsefe (Diğer)

Dergi:

Akademi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.12 Issue 34, pp.1-16

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

1/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340007

pISSN:

2667-4866