5. Camus – The Plague and the Fall
In this, the most “social” work by Camus, the plague is a metaphor for the absurd. The theme of the novel is impending but unpredictable death, both individual and collective. Camus represents himself (more or less) as Tarrou, who faces the plague with both determination and irony.
published after WWII, written during the war
The Nazi occupation is the plague, lightly–a major criticism of the work (Nazism is not a faceless evil).
Set in Algeria, not France
How do we, together, face the absurd?
Fighting the plague is futile.
Do SOMETHING.
“Each of us gets the war we deserve.” – Sartre
Choose how to cope with the plague.
List of some characters
Doctor Rieux – the hero committed to fighting the plague.
Monsieur Grand – ordinary, the “Sisyphus” of the novel
Rambeaux – a journalist, a character who is “caught” trying to escape
Tarrou – saintliness and cynicism, character who most represents Camus. enormous sense of irony
Fight it though it is absurd to do so
Cuttard – make use of the plague for his own enrichment, the true cynic
Father Paneloux – attributes it to God’s vengeance. Everyone is guilty. [Camus denounces him.]
= = =
How we face death is an ancient question–a major theme in existentialism.
Facing death TOGETHER is different from the solitary facing of death.
“The Rebel” is an essay by Camus. I rebel, therefore we exist.
Philosophical suicide is escaping the absurd by way of believing in / appealing to God or an afterlife, a world beyond this one–that is more important than this life. Take this life seriously.
Defending the cruelty of this moment for a future utopia is a type of philosophical suicide also.
Pick up at 14:40 where the professor moves from The Plague to The Fall.
The Fall
We are back to an individual.
Jean-Baptiste Clamence [John the Baptist and Clemency]
from a penthouse in Paris to a seedy bar in below sea-level Amsterdam
He was remarkably successful.
He was a lawyer, a philanthropic defense attorney (for widows and orphans).
He was wealthy and lived in luxury (in a penthouse in Paris).
This was the 1950s.
3 trivial incidents caused the fall
– a small traffic brawl with a motorcycle rider who sucker punches him and knocks him down
– he is crossing a bridge and hears a peel of laughter (the thought haunts him, was someone laughing at him?)
– he is crossing a bridge again. He sees a woman. She screams. He hears a splash. He walks on without calling for help.
The last event brings him down.
The Stranger was written in the first person but The Fall was written in the second person.
In the bar there is another person. That person is not relevant. In reality, Clamence is talking to us, the readers.
Pick-up at 25:08.
The problem with reincarnation is that there are more people alive right now than have ever been alive at a single moment in history. The result is that even if you believe in reincarnation it follows that for most of the people being born now it has to be their first time. And as population increases this condition will continue. Everybody can’t have multiple lives. unless you believe in souls that split in pieces.
Stephen said
The problem with reincarnation is that there are more people alive right now than have ever been alive at a single moment in history. The result is that even if you believe in reincarnation it follows that for most of the people being born now it has to be their first time. And as population increases this condition will continue. Everybody can’t have multiple lives. unless you believe in souls that split in pieces.
Michael Newton does speak of spirits not only having a prior incarnation and a current incarnation but of having two current incarnations.
He probably speaks of that in his first book Journey of Souls.
As for our Plague:
Astrology and the Year 2020 – IMPORTANT QUESTION
In the December OPA video on 2020, Lynn Bell discussed Mars Retrograde. She said the shadow period would be July 24 to Jan 2. Mars goes through Aries June 28, 2020 – January 5, 2021. In this important OPA video, she identifies Beouwulf as the archetype. (I see, for those who have not read the book or seen the movie, it is on Prime Video, $2.99 to rent.) // Point #1, as a former resident of NYC, I am sad that 13 people in one day died at a former nearby hospital to my old neighborhood and a male nurse in Manhattan died. This is not the worse of 2020. // Point #2, Lynn identified the MONSTER VERSUS THE HERO in the Beouwulf story with Mars retrograde.
QUESTION: The Monster is not in full terror, yet?
QUESTION: Are there any other archetypes to register?
QUESTION: Is the following a monster?
1/12/2020 Pluto Saturn Cycle in Capricorn:
Pluto 22 degrees Cap conjoins Saturn 22 degrees Cap
with Sun 21 degrees Cap, Ceres, 22 degrees Cap, and Merc 23 degrees Cap
[YouTube Video Source: “The Year 2020 – An Astrology Perspective” by YouTube Subscriber, Maurice Fernandez – Evolutionary Astrology posted Jan 7, 2020]
Steefen said
If Astrology Does Not Seem Accurate for Your Biography, Try Switching from Tropical Astrology to Sidereal Astrology.
Here is a lecture that explains why.
221 CE, Sidereal and Tropical Astrology produced the same results.
The Age of Pisces actually started 221 CE.
= = =
Dignities and Debilities are originally Sidereal. (at 29 minutes)
Beauties, Brains, and Baddies
Beauties
Brooke Shields
Angles are powerful.
Venus and Moon at MC.
Tropical Chart: Venus and Moon in Gemini
Sidereal Chart: Venus in domicile in Taurus and Moon exalted in Taurus (better than tropical)
Grace Kelly
Tropical Chart: Venus in Libra, Asc in Scorpio, Sun in Scorpio
Sidereal Chart: Venus in Libra, Asc in Libra, Sun and Mercury in Libra (better than tropical)
Elizabeth Hurley
Tropical Chart: Sun in Gemini, Venus in Cancer, Jupiter in Gemini, Moon in Scorpio, Asc in Virgo
Sidereal Chart: Sun in Taurus, Moon in Libra, (Moon in Scorpio is probably wrong for her; sidereal chart is better than tropical chart), Asc in Leo
Look at the lights (Sun and Moon).
Elizabeth Taylor
Tropical Chart: Sun in Pisces, Moon in Scorpio, Venus in Aries (inappropriate), Asc in Sagittarius
Sidereal Chart: Sun in Aquarius, Moon in Libra, Venus exalted in Pisces, Jupiter in Cancer square the Moon in Libra (she was very wealthy, banks on her looks)
Asc in Scorpio
Nicole Kidman
Tropical Chart: Sun in Gemini, Moon in Sagittarius, Asc in Scorpio, Venus in Leo, a masculine sign (inappropriate); Venus and Jupiter at the MC.
Sidereal Chart: Asc in Libra, Sun in Gemini, Moon in Scorpio, Venus in Cancer, with Jupiter exalted in Cancer. Venus and Jupiter at the MC. (better than tropical)
Catherine Deneuve
Tropical Chart: Asc = Capricorn, Sun = Libra, Moon in masculine Leo, Venus in Virgo, Jupiter in Leo
Sidereal Chart: Asc = Sagittarius, Libra MC, Sun in Libra, Moon in Cancer, Venus in Leo, Jupiter in Cancer
pick up on next reply at 36: 24 with Albert Einstein
BDEhrman
FreedomBen
evgendob
Robert