#seancarroll — Public Fediverse posts

I have nearly finished reading The Rebel by Albert Camus in which the author hypothesizes about right- and left-wing rebel philosophies that have led to totalitarianism and mass atrocities from the times of ancient Greece to the end of his life in post-WWII years. It seems prescient to today. The book is well-written, persuasive, and disturbing. [The Rebel, The Fall, and Resistance, Rebellion and Death have probably been my favorites of Camus’ books. I also found The Plague, The First Man, and The Myth of Sisyphus (which I read twice to better understand) are excellent. In hindsight, I wish I had read about Camus’ allegorical intentions behind The Plague before reading it.]

Incidentally, as a fan of Richard Powers’ writing, I found that reading The First Man by Camus increased my already high appreciation for Generosity: An Enhancement by Powers with its magical ending and led to me reading Generosity a second time. That book is as much about creative writing as it is about the storyline and its Algerian protagonist. It is also a book that reveals Powers’ admiration of Camus’ writing.

Lastly, a biography titled Brave Genius: A Scientist, a Philosopher, and Their Daring Adventures from the French Resistance to the Nobel Prize by Sean B. Carroll is an excellent exploration of the brilliant lives and friendship of Albert Camus and Jacques Monod.

#AlbertCamus #Totalitarianism #Reading #Books #Literature #Writing #RichardPowers #SeanCarroll #Philosophy