The symbolic world and the natural world

a dynamic between existence and the absurd in the work of Albert Camus

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25247/P1982-999X.2026.v26n1.p20-38

Keywords:

absurd , Existence, Anguish, Metaphysics

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present Albert Camus’s considerations on the dynamics between the concepts of the symbolic world and the natural world. These concepts express a fundamental relationship for the philosophy of the absurd developed by the author in his first triptych. Once Camus’s conception of the interaction between these notions has been outlined, we aim to demonstrate that both the feeling of the absurd and the notion of the absurd arise as direct consequences of this dynamic, as expressed in his literary and theatrical works. The discussion is based on the author’s key texts on the theme of the absurd—particularly The Myth of Sisyphus (1941), as well as secondary sources and commentaries that contribute to the theoretical foundation of the proposed analysis.

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Author Biography

  • Alberto Luiz Silva de Oliveira, Federal University of Uberlândia

    PhD student in Philosophy at the Federal University of Uberlândia - UFU. Master's degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Pernambuco - UNICAP (2022), with a research focus on Ethics, Moral Foundations, and Values. Graduated in Philosophy Teaching from the Catholic University of Pernambuco - UNICAP (2019). Specialized in Digital Education at the SENAI Florianópolis Technology College, SESI / SENAI (2023). Served as a pedagogical resident from 2018 to 2019 at the Federal Institute of Pernambuco - IFPE. Interested in Philosophy, with an emphasis on Ethics and Political Philosophy, and currently studies the ethical implications of the concept of Revolt in the thought of Albert Camus.

References

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CAMUS, Albert. Le malentendu. Paris: Gallimard, 1958.

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Published

2026-02-09

How to Cite

OLIVEIRA, Alberto Luiz Silva de. The symbolic world and the natural world: a dynamic between existence and the absurd in the work of Albert Camus. Revista Ágora Filosófica, Recife, PE, Brasil, v. 26, n. 1, p. 20–38, 2026. DOI: 10.25247/P1982-999X.2026.v26n1.p20-38. Disponível em: https://periodicos.unicap.br/agora/article/view/3402. Acesso em: 25 oct. 2026.