A long essay, first published in French in 1951, in which Camus moves from the private question of the absurd to the public one of revolt. He asks when rebellion against injustice is right, and when it turns into tyranny and murder.
He traces the history of rebellion through writers, philosophers and revolutions, from the French Revolution to twentieth century ideologies. His answer favours measure, limits and respect for human life over absolute systems. The book caused a famous quarrel with Jean-Paul Sartre and the French left, and it remains a key work of political thought.
Quotes
Absolute freedom mocks at justice. Absolute justice denies freedom. To be fruitful, the two ideas must find their limits in each other.
What is a rebel? A man who says no.
The slave begins by demanding justice and ends by wanting to wear a crown. He must dominate in his turn.
If Nietzsche and Hegel serve as alibis to the masters of Dachau and Karaganda, that does not condemn their entire philosophy. But it does lead to the suspicion that one aspect of their thought, or of their logic, can lead to these appalling conclusions.