Albert Camus

Albert Camus (1913–1960) was a French-Algerian writer, philosopher, journalist, and essayist, one of the most important representatives of the philosophy of the absurd. He was born in Mondovì (now Dréan) in Algeria, then a French colony. He grew up in a poor family and was educated in Algeria, where he became involved in journalism and theater at an early age.

Camus is known for his works that explore the absurdity of human existence and the search for meaning in a world without divine order. His best-known novel, The Stranger (1942), features an indifferent protagonist who rejects social norms and ends tragically, while the essay The Myth of Sisyphus (1942) develops the concept of the absurd philosophically. Other key works include the novels The Plague and The Fall, and plays such as Caligula.

Although often associated with existentialism, Camus rejected this label. He was also politically active, particularly during the French Resistance in World War II and later in the debates over French colonial policy. In 1957, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming one of the youngest winners.

He died tragically in a car accident in 1960. Camus remains a symbol of intellectual resistance, moral clarity, and philosophical depth.