Albert Camus was a French journalist, philosopher, and writer who focused his writings on the absurdity of life. Camus was famous for his works: The Myth of Sisyphus, The Plague, The Rebel, and The Stranger. In 1957, he was awarded the “Nobel Prize in Literature” (Sus, 2023, p. 1). Camus’s philosophy is rooted in existentialism and “the questions of the meaning of human existence” (Cline, 2018, p. 1). According to Camus, “despair is caused not by the cruelty of life and man, but by the thought of the individual's greatness and his inability to establish a bond with an indifferent universe” (Sus, 2023, p. 1). Based on his perspective of despair, he would believe that depression is absurd and is related to people trying to find the meaning of life. Camus would conclude that depression is a social epidemic that spreads throughout the population due to the absurdity of trying to find a connection with an indifferent world.

Camus would have agreed with depression being connected with finding meaning in life due to his strong views of life having no meaning and due to his beliefs in scientific evidence rather than faith (Sus, 2023, p. 1). Camus states that “the stars aren't concerned with us; we're only a speck in the vast scheme of things” (Sus, 2023, p. 1). This is the first hint that leads Camus to the conclusion that life is meaningless. He then turns to religion, which has been one of the many things people turn to as a solution to the meaning of life, but he is an atheist. According to Camus, religious beliefs are founded on faith rather than facts (p. 1). He also discusses the idea of creating meaning in life, but he believes it is ultimately futile (p. 1). He believes that “imposing meaning on the universe is a recipe for disaster, as any significance we create will eventually be contradicted by evidence and crumble under its own absurdity” (p. 1). Camus argues that there is no rational answer to the issue of life's meaning (p. 1). Camus has explored many explanations for the meaning of life, but due to him being an atheist and only believing in scientific evidence, he found no real meaning to life. With people trying to impose meaning on life and not finding any, this is what he would believe could lead to some people’s depression. Therefore, Camus would agree that depression is connected to people trying to find an answer to life but never finding any, and if so, it is ultimately contradictory when compared to scientific evidence.

In addition, Camus would not have viewed the absurdity of depression as something fully negative but as a positive force due to his views on life and absurdity. Absurdity isn’t just a concept; it can also be a lived experience. It's the sensation of being lost and alone in an incomprehensible universe, caught in a never-ending loop of futility, and looking for answers but never being able to find them (Sus, 2023, p. 1). He would use those statements to prove how absurdity is a lived experience and, in his case, human existence. Camus doesn’t fear the absurd; he views life as a good force that serves as a reminder that individuals are alive and have value, despite the fact that life is ultimately pointless (p. 1). Despite him thinking life is absurd, he believes that absurdity is something to positively view because it reminds people of reality. Another reason he rejects religious solutions is because he considers the solutions as pseudo-solutions to the absurd nature of reality (Cline, 2018, p. 1). He believes that looking for solutions in religion is absurd because it is based on faith and not evidence; therefore, it wouldn’t be reality. He connects the absurd with life, saying that life is absurd itself and that it’s a positive force that roots people down to reality (Sus, 2023, p. 1). In conclusion, he would say that depression is absurd but a positive force because it reminds people that they are alive.

Lastly, his solution to depression would be to accept the reality of life being meaningless and absurd; this conclusion is seen through his works. In Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, Sisyphus accepts his situation, and in doing so, he is silently happy (Aronson, 2011, p. 1). He’s in control of his fate, and that gives him peace (p. 1). In Camus’ novel, “Sisyphus consciously lives out what has been imposed on him, and by becoming conscious of it, Camus is saying, he takes ownership of it” (p. 1). In The Stranger, Camus also displays happiness being achieved through the acceptance of fate. Meursault, the main character in the book, is on trial after killing someone (p. 1). He is fully conscious of himself and his terrible fate; this gives him peace (p. 1). A stoic acceptance of life's harshest aspects is embodied by both characters. Camus doesn’t believe in suicide or religion being a solution to depression. He views the solution of religion as philosophical suicide, comparable to suicide (Simpson, n.d., p. 1). To Camus, the absurd, in his view, is an unavoidable characteristic of the human condition; the only appropriate reaction to it is complete, brave, and unwavering acceptance (p. 1). Camus would conclude that acceptance is a proper solution, rather than suicide or philosophical suicide through religion. Therefore, Camus’ novels show that he believes that accepting life as meaningless and absurd is the true solution to depression, eventually leading to happiness.

Through Camus’ works and beliefs, he would believe depression to be absurd and connected to people trying to find the meaning of life by trying to connect to an indifferent world. In his opinion, making meaning out of life is pointless. Through his beliefs, he would conclude that depression is connected to trying to find the meaning of life and that human existence represents absurdity. Through the novels, he views acceptance as the true solution to any hard situation life throws at people. He believes in taking control of the situation and accepting it, rather than the situation taking control of people.