Book Review: The Rebel by Albert

Camus, Part I: The Rebel

shaunmiller
Shaun Miller's Ideas | April 28, 2010

This really isnt a book review per se, but since this is a challenging
book, this review is more for myself. Its a restatement of Camus
arguments and my own two cents. So this will be a combination of a
summary of Camus book and my response to it. I also understand
this is a long post. Youll have to bear with me. Its a very complex
essay and so I want to write down as much as I can on Camus
thoughts as well as my own thoughts on this as well. At the same
time, I was thinking of doing the whole book but that would be too
big of a post. Thus, Im just going to post it part by part and see if
that makes things simpler.

Part I: The Rebel

What does it mean to rebel? To live means that our existence takes
on a positive value. Rebellion means that we value something in
human society. Thus, the rebel is always ethical. But the downside is
that these values are given. This book is about politics and ethics.
One must be familiar with Camus philosophy to understand this book.
Its a metaphysical revolt. This isnt a revolution. Revolutions are
planned out. The rebel has no plan. He just acts.
The essay feels like its a sequel to his The Myth of Sisyphus. In there,
he talks briefly about rebellion. Since the rebel acts, what is he acting
toward? Imagine if there was no meaning or purpose. What then?
Suicide? Murder? Nihilism? Camus advocates rebellion. Why is
that? Its because the universe and life itself is absurd. Can we prove
it? No. But I can still act on it and show why thats the right
belief. How do I do that? By rebellion. All beliefs are like that. All
beliefs and ideas start of as rebellions and they strive and push to
become known. But theres no reason behind it. Theres no calculated rationale. Its a blind push. Thus, the rebel can only find reasons within himself, not from without. Its the feeling that Im
right and establishes a borderline where crossing this borderline is a
no. To remain silent is amounting to wanting it. Notice its not tolerating it, but literally wanting it. Camus states: With rebellion,
awareness is born (p. 15). And with this rebellion, hell take on this
value (even though its from within) and live for it. Perhaps even die
for it. With rebellion, its a shift from descriptive to normative;
before theres ethics, theres rebellion. Before theres politics, theres
rebellion. Before theres value, theres rebellion. The rebel finds
something to value in order for that thing to be valuable. From this,
before theres metaphysics, theres rebellion. Is it possible to find
values in a meaningless world? Thats what the rebel wants to find
out. Thats why in The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus starts with the essay
that theres only one true philosophical problem, and that is suicide.
With these values, the rebel takes on these values so deep and
ingrained that he believes that these values are now more important
than his own individuality. Thus, hell fight for these values because

he considers these values more important than himself. Ahh, but

theres one thing you must accept: theres no human nature. If there
was a human nature, you couldnt rebel. As Camus puts it: Analysis
of rebellion leads at least to the suspicion that, contrary to the postulates of contemporary thought, a human nature does exist, as the
Greeks believed. Why rebel if there is nothing permanent in oneself
worth preserving? (p. 16)
We come together through rebellion. Camus states: In order to
exist, man must rebel and I rebeltherefore we exist (p. 22). This
isnt resentment. Resentment is slow. Rebellions are quick and surprising. The resenter resents himself. The rebel imposes his ideas
onto others. With this, rebellions far surpass resentments. The rebel
makes people aware of their freedom. Sartre was wrong. Being
aware of your freedom doesnt make you free; the rebel makes you
aware that youre free.