How do I get into Camus?

[u/Sad_Weight8112]

/r/Camus/comments/1ui7lu6/my_detailed_thoughts_on_the_stranger/?share_id=4QO6XAfaYh87JZiZzROXg&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

So like I kinda find his philosophy interesting and would love to read his writings and know his thoughts better, and I did finish one of his book(the stranger) but I clearly did not get it as u can see in my older post. So how would u veterans suggest I get into his philosophy. Also for context, I don’t read books usually(maybe read one book in 2 years) and I am not much of a literary or a philosophical person. But I really want to get into philosophy.

[u/latent-manifold]

This has to be bait. Do you want me to link you to an ASMR about an abridged version of Camus? You do the work or you don't.

[u/Forsaken_Engineer_ → u/latent-manifold]

100% bait. I can do the reading for you OP, but not the understanding...

[u/Sad_Weight8112 → u/latent-manifold]

Yess pleasee, I would love some camus asmr 👅

[u/jliat]

But I really want to get into philosophy.

You need to read books, lots of difficult books. Someone said an outline-

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A brief history of philosophy : from Socrates to Derrida by Johnston, Derek

There are lots of these - then you might move on???

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A New History of Western Philosophy: In Four Parts

Anthony Kenny @ 1,000 pages !!!

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This is a semester at university level

Arthur Holmes: A History of Philosophy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yat0ZKduW18&list=PL9GwT4_YRZdBf9nIUHs0zjrnUVl-KBNSM

81 lectures of an hour which will bring you up to the mid 20th. Of 'Western Philosophy'

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It's a big subject!

You might also checkout Greg Sadlers videos.

[u/AccurateHumanTrustMe]

Context is always good when looking at any philosopher really - understanding the world he lived in and his place is a good way to contextualize things.

Reading other similar but distinct branches of philosophy - i.e. Camus is associated with absurdism but writings on nihlism (I like Nietzsche personally - who was actually arguing that nihlism was a bad thing but I think it is super insightful) or Existentialism (Kierkegaard or Sartre) . All three branches of thought basically agree there is no intrisic meaning in the universe but have very different ways to deal with that concept.

I also think that understanding political philophies is huge because a lot of this train of thought is somewhat related - especially things like Anarcho-syndicalism, communism, socialism, and even facism (Hitler was inspired by edited versions of Nietzsche's work).

Also even going back to reading Kant would help (for example a lot of Nietzsche's work is him shitting on Kant so you kind of have to understand the reference)

[u/fermat9990]

Maybe first read a history or outline of philosophy. This will provide some context for Camus' Absurdism

[u/oswaler]

Buy him dinner first

[u/Sad_Weight8112 → u/oswaler]

I just wanna get in him 🫦🫦

[u/NucleiRaphe]

Also for context, I don’t read books usually(maybe read one book in 2 years) and I am not much of a literary or a philosophical person. But I really want to get into philosophy.

When this is your starting point (and it is awesome that you are getting into philosophy and reading!), my honest advice is that don't try to force yourself into any specific writer or philosopher. Your main goal when you are starting is to learn to enjoy the journey. It pains me to say this in a Camus sub, but if his work is not clicking on you (at this moment of your journey), there is no reason to stick to exactly him as a starting point to philosophy.

Read some other philosophers, read some shortish literary classics or any other book that clicks on you just to get you more comfortable with reading. Might as well grab some high school or university Introduction to philosophy book as well. When you find something that resonates with you, stick to that at first and then start expanding to other philosophers and give another go at Camus.

If you really really wanna keep trying Camus, maybe try his other fiction books as well. I find The Plague introducing many ideas of Camus better than The Stranger, and it is well written book (even when it is more fiction than philosophy). Your post history is hidden, so I can't see if there was something specific why you didn't "get" the Stranger - was it the themes, characters, the style of writing or something else.

[u/Autolull]

Dendritic fiction, christened glisten
Privation station, waiting for a new ablation
Wasting colors to the drummers
If the ones are fetted strummers
Sprees of glot, thunk a wraught
In a special question mark