Albert Camus Quotes on Freedom
Albert Camus tied freedom closely to his philosophy of revolt, and the quotes gathered here, drawn largely from The Rebel, show that connection. For Camus the rebel is fundamentally a man who says no, and rebellion both asserts freedom and binds the rebel to others, so that I rebel, therefore we exist. He was acutely wary of freedom pursued without limit: absolute freedom mocks at justice, just as absolute justice denies freedom, and the two ideas, he argued, must find their limits in each other. Camus also warned that mistaken ideas, pursued absolutely, end in bloodshed. The aim of art and of a life, he concluded, can only be to increase the sum of freedom and responsibility in the world, never to suppress it, even temporarily.
Quotes
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“I rebel; therefore we exist.”
The Rebel (L'Homme Revolte), 1951 -
“What is a rebel? A man who says no.”
Chapter 1 -
“To become god is merely to be free on this earth, not to serve an immortal being.”
Absurd Creation | Kirilov -
“Absolute freedom mocks at justice . Absolute justice denies freedom. To be fruitful, the two ideas must find their limits in each other.”
The Rebel(1951) | "Historical Murder", as translated by Anthony Bower -
“Real fulfillment, for the man who allows absolutely free rein to his desires, and who much dominate everything, lies in hatred.”
The Rebel(1951) | Part 2: Metaphysical Rebellion -
“Outside of that single fatality of death, everything, joy or happiness, is liberty.”
Absurd Creation -
“Mistaken ideas always end in bloodshed, but in every case it is someone else's blood. That is why some of our thinkers feel free to say just about anything.”
Actuelles I, 1950 -
“The slave begins by demanding justice and ends by wanting to wear a crown. He must dominate in his turn.”
The Rebel(1951) -
“The aim of art , the aim of a life can only be to increase the sum of freedom and responsibility to be found in every man and in the world. It cannot, under any circumstances, be to reduce or suppress that freedom, even temporarily.”
Resistance, Rebellion, and Death(1960) | "The Artist and His Time"