The Absurd

In Philosophy, The Absurd refers to humans who continue to live their lives, despite knowledge that their lives are utterly pointless.

Solutions

• Suicide is a solution to some because it seems a rational reaction to the absurdity of life; but most people try to find an alternative solution. For Albert Camus suicide is not a worthwhile solution, because if life is truly absurd, then the only way to engage it is to keep the internal reaction to the absurd going. Thus if the conscience is not alive, this interaction between mind and absurdity cannot exist. See The Myth of Sisyphus and The Rebel.
• God or religion provides a point to life for some people. However, the above argument can be applied again: what is the purpose of God?
• One solution is simply to reject the definition; to instead define "the point of life is to live." This is not a solution to the above problem, but instead a different problem.
• Many people accept that life is pointless but do not consider this a problem. As above, even if ultimate purpose did exist, it might not satisfy us. Instead they create meaning in their own lives, which is not ultimate meaning but provides something to do. They may also ignore the problem.