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Which values did Albert Camus defend in his later writings?

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In his later writings, Albert Camus moved beyond his initial focus on the "absurd" to champion a moral framework centered on human dignity and ethical conduct. He explicitly rejected the use of evil means to achieve political ends, arguing that good intentions do not justify the systematic violence often committed in the name of revolutionary ideologies.12

Camus defended several core values:

  • Truth and Justice: He maintained that political action must be grounded in a solid moral basis, emphasizing the necessity of defending truth and justice against the dogmatism of both the Left and the Right.12
  • Moderation: Drawing on what he termed a "Mediterranean" tradition, he advocated for moderation, human warmth, and joy in living, contrasting these with the fanatical, abstract extremism he associated with certain "northern" traditions.2
  • Rebellion: In his essay The Rebel, he defined the true rebel not as a revolutionary who conforms to rigid ideologies, but as an individual who has the courage to say "no" to injustice.23
  • Liberal Humanism: His final works outlined a form of liberal humanism that rejected the dogmatic aspects of both Christianity and Marxism, prioritizing human decency and fraternity.12