Albert Camus On Godless Morality

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 4 January 2025 "A Man Without Ethics Is A Wild Beast Loose Upon This World." Albert Camus January 4 is the great French existentialist and Nobel laureate in Literature (1957) Albert Camus' 65th death anniversary. Camus was a lifelong atheist, albeit a gentle one who didn't flaunt his atheism like Salman Rushdie, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, among others. His non-iconoclastic and 'ethical' atheism is all the more important because it explains that a complete atheist can also be an absolutely ethical and morally upright person. Those religious fanatics who fallaciously think that all atheists are immoral people and morality comes only from religion and an imaginary god, must cogitate over the aforementioned quote of Camus. This quote speaks to the importance of ethics and morality in our everyday lives. Without a moral compass, a person can become aimless and uncontrolled. This can be dangerous, both to themselves and to those around them. A person without ethics can act without regard for the consequences of their actions and can do serious harm. In order to maintain a safe, orderly, and equitable society, it is essential that we as individuals possess and adhere to an ethical code. This quote serves as a stark warning to us that without ethics, we can become "a wild beast loose upon this world." The extension of his quote is: "L'intégrité n'a pas besoin de règles" in French (Integrity has no need of rules). Camus' quote speaks to the power and importance of having a strong moral compass and living a life of integrity. It implies that if you have a strong sense of personal integrity, there is no need to be bound by external rules or societal expectations. You will make the right decisions even when no one is watching because that is the kind of person you are. This can also be seen as a reminder to live by your own standards, and to never compromise your values or beliefs. Integrity is a key ingredient of strong character, and having a commitment to this quality can make all the difference in life. Holier-than-thou type of people who condescendingly accuse others of being destitute of integrity should read and mull over it. No divinity and no cloying spirituality exhort you to become a moral being. One never needs any 'holy' book or scripture to become a conscientious person. "Tu n'as pas besoin de Dieu pour être un bon humain" (You need no god to be a good human), Camus wrote to Sartre, his friend and yet another atheist existentialist. Morality that comes from fear of god is slavish morality that lacks will, volition, wisdom and discernment. When morality and discipline are imposed by external agencies, your own judgement and power of discernment get obfuscated. Reading Camus' works can enable us to understand freedom and morality and emancipate us to the point of being so free that our very existence is an act of rebellion (The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.....Albert Camus). People languishing in the dungeon of faith and fear of god must dare read Camus. Alas, they won't lest Camus' rebellious ideas jolt them out of their state of perpetual servitude. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/albert-camus-godless-morality/d/134240 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism