Book · 1942
The Myth of Sisyphus
by Albert Camus
Camus decides the only real philosophical question is whether to keep living, then imagines a man happy pushing a boulder forever anyway.
What does Reddit think of The Myth of Sisyphus?
The specific claim that keeps resurfacing across r/askphilosophy and r/philosophy is Camus's opening move: the only real philosophical question is whether to live or die, everything else comes after (r/philosophy, ↑163). From there the disagreement starts. One askphilosophy thread runs it against Sartre, quoting Camus calling Sartre's version of meaning a "false hope" (↑198), while another lines it up next to Schopenhauer's pessimism on suicide (↑191). r/Stoicism's one high-upvoted entry reads Sisyphus through a Star Trek quote instead — "it is the struggle itself that is most important, never mind the goal" — a smaller, stranger companion to the philosophy-subreddit readings (↑138). The rawest excerpt isn't academic at all: someone in r/philosophy credits the book directly with pulling them back from suicidal depression (↑132). Reddit isn't debating whether Camus is right so much as which comparison explains him best.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Suicide as the first and only real philosophical question
- · Camus against Sartre on where meaning actually comes from
- · Imagining Sisyphus happy as the essay's central image
- · Personal stakes in reading it, not just academic ones
Common praise
- + r/philosophy has someone crediting the book directly with pulling them back from suicidal depression (↑132).
- + r/askphilosophy calls it a fantastic entry point for anyone curious about meta-ethics, not just existentialism specifically (↑234).
- + The Camus-versus-Sartre framing in r/askphilosophy gives the essay a sharper edge than a generic meaning-of-life summary would.
Common criticism
- − r/askphilosophy's Schopenhauer comparison points out Camus isn't the first philosopher to reach the suicide question (↑191).
- − r/Stoicism's reading, built around a Star Trek quote, suggests the essay gets flattened into a motivational line outside philosophy-specific subs.
- − Most of the highest-upvoted excerpts are summaries and comparisons rather than anyone actually disputing Camus's argument on its own terms.
Who it's for
Whether life is worth living isn't just a phrase to you? Camus opens with exactly that question and treats it as the only one that counts, building the rest of the essay from your answer. Coming to it after Sartre and curious where they actually diverge? r/askphilosophy has the specific line where Camus calls Sartre's meaning a false hope. Prefer philosophy argued from real stakes rather than a seminar? The r/philosophy account of surviving depression because of this book is the most direct case anyone makes for it here.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Myth of Sisyphus?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“This video is about The Myth of Sisyphus, a 1942 philosophical essay by Albert Camus, and it discusses how, through a chapter from the Greek mythology, it teaches us the way to find beauty in everything. Camus claims that when Sisyphus acknowledges the futility of his task and the certainty of his f…
“Can you explain more what you found bad about it? Is it that you think the ideas are bad, or that the words are too poorly formed for you to understand the ideas? Personally I think the Myth of Sisyphus is a fantastic piece that anyone interested in meta ethics should read. To briefly summarize: …
“Camus is grouped together with other philosophers under a wide umbrella called Existentialism. Existentialism is hard to precisely define; many of these philosophers greatly disagreed over many topics. Camus, for example, critiqued Sartre's philosophy heavily, calling his meaning a "false hope". Bu…
“Content warning: philosophical discussion of suicide Schopenhauer (see "on the vanity of existence" in *Studies in Pessimism") argues that life is meaningless and full of suffering, but that our "will to life" dupes us into continuing living and to actually reproduce, bringing more life into existe…
“Sure. Camus states that the first (and only) real philosophical question is whether to live or die. That's where he starts and builds from. In that framework he decides that if physical suicide is the wrong answer there have to be other forms of suicide. Further in the Myth of Sisyphus he discusse…
“Here are two perspectives from my favorite existential authors 1. Jean Paul Sartre says that meaning is created by the individual and their actions. "Existence preceeds essence". This means that first you exist, then meaning in your existence is created after that fact. According to him, the point …
“This is the fundamental tenet of Camus' Absurdism as articulated in his essay - The Myth of Sisyphus. As Commander Data says, it is the struggle itself that is most important, never mind the Goal. Camus imagined Sisyphus happy because he had something to strive towards and never reached it. In the s…
“Camus saved me from deep depression and suicidal thoughts when my life had lost all meaning. Thanks to “The Myth of Sisyphus”.
“> Like, think of it from a Myth of Sisyphus perspective. It seems like if you believe suffering is a choice, then you’d say ‘well, we have to imagine sisyphus happy because he believes one day the boulder will stay at the top. He has found meaning in his task, so he does not suffer.’ But it’s not li…
“In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus basically posits that suicide is a response to our inability to cope with the absurdity of the world, that the creation of meaning is the responsibility of the individual. I think this is an especially helpful work for those of us who feel let down by or lost in the …
“You should read The Myth of Sisyphus by Camus. I know this isn't a very good or direct answer, but it is my favorite book on the subject and by far the most famous. There's no real answer to your question... great philosophers like Kant and Schopenhauer disagree. Kant says that there is never a mora…
“Albert Camus' *The Myth of Sisyphus* might be the best place to begin, as Camus is concerned directly with the question of suicide, judging it to be the one truly serious philosophical problem. I should also draw your attention to this website.
“As someone heavily inspired by Merleau-Ponty and Heidegger I wanted to write a very similar response, but with time I came to appreciate Camus' strategy as well (even though it is rather obviously incompatible with other thinkers loosely grouped as existentialists). Camus doesn't think in terms of *…
“Do you know that one twitter meme? “Guy who’s only ever seen Boss Baby watching his second movie: ‘getting some real boss baby vibes out of this one’” The Myth of Sisyphus in terms of written complexity is a totally fine start, but it is also a book with a very bold thesis that doesn’t totally fit…
“I read 'The Myth of Sisyphus' when I was in college and ive never felt despair from reading a book more than that.
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Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with The Myth of Sisyphus — counted from the comments, not curated.
Guides featuring The Myth of Sisyphus
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
The Myth of Sisyphus — frequently asked
What is the central question of The Myth of Sisyphus?+
Whether to live or die — Camus states it as the only serious philosophical question, with everything else treated as secondary (r/philosophy, ↑163). The essay then works through why physical suicide isn't the right answer, and what other kinds of "suicide" (giving up, false hope) might be instead.
Does The Myth of Sisyphus argue against Sartre?+
In one specific reading, yes: an r/askphilosophy comment quotes Camus dismissing Sartre's account of meaning as a "false hope," framing their disagreement as a real philosophical rupture rather than two flavors of the same existentialism, even though both writers get grouped under that label by outsiders (↑198).
Can The Myth of Sisyphus actually help with suicidal thoughts?+
One person says so directly: an r/philosophy comment credits the book with pulling them out of deep depression and suicidal thoughts when their life had lost meaning (↑132). That's a single account, not a clinical claim, but it's the most forceful endorsement in this data.
Is The Myth of Sisyphus discussed anywhere besides philosophy subreddits?+
A little. r/Stoicism has one high-upvoted comment reading Camus's Sisyphus through a Star Trek quote about the struggle mattering more than the goal (↑138), a much smaller and looser engagement than what shows up in r/askphilosophy or r/philosophy, and with far fewer total mentions across the tracked years.