Date of Publication

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy

Subject Categories

Theory and Philosophy

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

Philosophy

Thesis Adviser

Noelle Leslie G. Dela Cruz

Defense Panel Chair

Rolando M. Gripaldo

Defense Panel Member

Gansham T. Mansukhani
Florentino T. Timbreza
Napoleon M. Mabaquiao
Elenita dLR. Garcia

Abstract/Summary

In all anthologies of existentialist philosophy, Albert Camus has been a regular member of the atheistic bloc. Just as his being existentialist is contested, so too is his atheism. For most readers, he is an atheist. But Camus seemed to be a reserved atheist. This has caused growing variant opinions among his commentators. The preoccupation in this work is not to take into serious study of each of these different opinions as regards Camus atheism. What is clearly imperative is the fact that it calls for a clarification of the issue at stake. There is no one in a better position to settle the issue but Albert Camus himself.

The endeavor in fact is not an easy task because Camus did not leave us with a single philosophical treatise which will provide us with answers to the questions we ask. To venture into this problem, therefore, one has to study all available materials, decipher traces of his atheistic thoughts, and weigh them up whether, in one way or another, they can shed us with some light into the obscurity of his atheistic stance.

The fact is Camus himself is ambiguous. But such ambiguity should not prevent us from making a clear position with regard to the issue. In the course of a thorough exposition of his atheistic thoughts and on his treatments of religious beliefs, particularly to that of the Christians, where we found him unsatisfactorily had established atheistic propositions coupled with his own declaration that his position is blasphemy, not atheism as expounded in The Rebel, then such utterance which is directly coming from his lips is, I think, beyond discussion. Moreover, to establish that Camus has a sense of transcendence, we would like to unfold his inclination towards monasticism in all its rigorous practices, his recognition of a higher decree that authorized one happiness, in his personal correspondence which states that God, for him, remains individual

greatest possibility, his own longing for immortality, his profound sympathy with Christianity in spite of his severe treatment in most of the times, and finally, in his insistence of hope in the midst of an absurd existence. Thus, Camus, in the truest sense, cannot be an atheist.

We would like to make our position, however, clear. Camus and Christianity cannot be forcibly lumped together. In the course of this study, aside from many parallelisms of Camus thoughts with Christian teachings and even with some of his atheistic utterances are in fact not irreconcilable with Catholic theology, still we see a dogmatic hindrance that prevents him from becoming a Christian. Camus rejects what is crucial to Christianity: the divinity of Christ. It is in here that Christianity and Camus reach an impasse. In dismissing Christianity, we take the concept of God as relation as congenial to Camus sense of transcendence. By appropriating Camus thoughts into God as relation, we draw the social, spiritual, and philosophical relevance of this paper.

At the end of this work, I will apply his thoughts to the Philippine setting wherein religion still possesses a considerable social and political influence. The intention of bringing Camus critical ideas into our context is to help Filipino Christians, particularly Catholics, to progress into a fuller religious maturity that will exhibit a concordance between faith and ethics.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Accession Number

CDTG004138

Shelf Location

Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F Henry Sy Sr. Hall

Physical Description

xiii, 225 leaves, 28 cm. ; Typescript

Keywords

Atheism; Camus, Albert, -- 1913-1960

Upload Full Text

wf_yes

Download

Share

COinS