“The reasoning is classic in its clarity. If God does not exist, Kirilov is god. If God does not exist, Kirilov must kill himself. Kirilov must therefore kill himself to become god. That logic is absurd, but it is what is needed.”

French philosopher, writer, and political activist

Albert Camus was a French philosopher, writer, and political activist. He is remembered for work that helped define twentieth-century French thought, and he received the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44. His books include The Stranger, The Plague, The Myth of Sisyphus, The Fall, and The Rebel. His writing and public work are closely associated with questions of absurdity, moral choice, and political commitment.