The Myth of Sisyphus

Camus wrote this essay in 1942. But it is still relevant if you're writing about meaning, choice, or human behavior.

Philosophy:

For Philosophy students, the essay is a must because it doesn't offer vague theories. Camus builds a systematic logic about living in a meaningless universe while rejecting both suicide and "philosophical suicide." Some may want to talk about "life dramas" in the essays. Most of the time, the essays end up gimmicky, cliche, and bromidic. Read Camus to make your philosophical arguments sharper.

Politics:

Politics students will find it valuable because the essay was written during the Nazi occupation. So the essay addresses how to act when everything collapses. His concept of "revolt" (not revolution) will give language and fresh ideas for discussing resistance, civic engagement. A true gem for political philosophy.

Psychology:

By reading about how Camus shows how awareness of life's futility doesn't equal despair (it can build resilience), Psychology students can nab a few great ideas if they are writing about meaning-making, flow states, or psychic well-being.

And it is only 120 pages. Pretty dense, but clear. No fancy unneeded complexity. Sharp and tangible philosophical arguments.

It is a compound lift, so it doesn't choose majors. It will give you intellectual scaffolding that works for the majors we mentioned and beyond!

Read it. Use it. Write better.