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From: carnes@gargoyle.UUCP (Richard Carnes)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion
Subject: Re: Islam (long but not propaganda) -- Camus and Sartre
Message-ID: <114@gargoyle.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 13:00:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: gargoyle.114
Posted: Fri Aug  9 13:00:36 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 13-Aug-85 01:48:04 EDT
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In article <5712@cbscc.UUCP> pmd@cbscc.UUCP (Paul Dubuc) writes:
>
>The reason I mentioned Camus and Sartre was because of Nietzsche's influence
>on them and that some of their philosophical ideas about the meaninglessness,
>purposelessness and futility of life were in print during the late 30's and
>early 40's (although they weren't translated into english until after wwII).
>The extent of help these ideas gave the Nazi's may be debated, but their
>usefullness as a reflection of the intellectual mood of the times is on
>more solid ground, I think.  Ideas don't have to be expressly political
>to influence political action.  
>....
>It's easy to see where the view of humanity reflected in these works
>could justify (apart from the authors intentions) the idea that human
>life is of no more significance than inanimate matter. 

This is so far out of whack that it hardly merits a response, but
such a slur on these two great writers should be answered.  The views
expressed above recall the attitude of 18th century traditionalists
toward Voltaire, who was blamed for the evils of the French
Revolution.  

Persons who believe that life is meaningless and futile do not expend
great energies in political activism and in the writing of literary
and philosophical works, as these two men did.  Please read *The
Plague* (*La Peste* in French) if you think that Camus's writings
reflect the idea that human life is insignificant and pointless.

Sartre was a moralist above all.  The concepts of "bad faith" and
moral responsibility play a major role in his philosophical works,
and he gave his passionate support to many political causes, which
often brought him into conflict with established institutions.  In
order to avoid too close an identification with the powers that be he
rejected membership in the French Academy, the Legion d'Honneur, and
the Nobel Prize.  For a while he was a supporter (but not a member)
of the French Communist Party, but he broke with it later over
Hungary, Algeria, and the events of May 1968, after which he became
something of a Maoist/libertarian (?).  For his views on
anti-Semitism see his 1948 work *Portrait of an Anti-Semite*, a
psychological study.  His funeral in 1980 was attended by tens of
thousands of people, while tributes came in from all over the world.
Why?  Because he revealed the meaninglessness of life?  I doubt it.

Whatever your opinion of the political and philosophical views of
Camus and Sartre, the idea of linking them in any way with the Third
Reich is totally absurd.  

Some of the stuff I read in net.politics these days is just amazin'.
Doesn't anyone read books anymore?

Richard Carnes, ihnp4!gargoyle!carnes