From the Latin absurdus, the term absurd refers to that which is meaningless or that is opposite or inverse to reason. The concept also refers to the strange, strange, crazy, illogical or foolish.
The absurd appears when a series of propositions inevitably results in the denial or refutation of each one of them.
The philosophy of the absurd or absurdism is based on the absence of the predetermined and absolute meaning of the universe regarding man; all effort of human beings to know the origin of the Universe and of those absolute questions is in vain since there is no answer to these questions that can be understood by our nature. It is characterized by its skeptical condition regarding the principles of life and the creation of the world, ensuring that existence has no meaning and that there is no marked destination either, so all human beings have the right to freedom and to trace our own way.
Absurdism is linked to existentialism, although they are not identical movements. French philosopher and writer Albert Camus was the driving force behind absurdism after moving away from the existentialist movement. The foundations of this philosophical theory can be found in some of his works, such as ” The Stranger “, where the author affirms that all life is insignificant and that its value depends exclusively on what human beings give it. In this way, existence is a constant cycle that is repeated in a useless way, moved by tradition rather than something authentic and absolutely different from what is known.
This theory became popular after World War II, and many existentialist philosophers leaned on it; Possibly the reason for this is that the sadness left by the war in its wake, generated great skepticism about people’s lives, and the only way to continue living was by taking a stance of the ephemeral to avoid that discomfort become even more intense.
Various cultural movements have appealed to the absurd, such as pataphysics, which emerged in the mid- 20th century. It is a kind of parodic science that studies imaginary solutions and the laws that regulate exceptions.
The absurd humor is a kind of humor that appeals to disparate facts to make the audience laugh. The English group Monty Python, which performed between 1969 and 1983, is one of the most famous exponents.
The theater of the absurd is a concept that is used to name the works created by some playwrights in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
In literature discussing the absurd to allude to a technique or style that is appealing to components that have no coherence in context with logic predictability. This is quite common in parody and humor. In any case, it is necessary to clarify that in order for a text to be considered absurd it does not necessarily have to have humorous or illogical elements, nor does it have to have characters who do not have a good command of reason.
What makes a text absurd is the author’s perspective of reasoning; that is, when the irrational nature of life, the lack of coherence in our existence, and other issues that border on the philosophical rather than the fictional are recorded. Therefore, we can say that an absolutely sane story that has a background of irrationality can be considered absurd. In order to decide whether a text is absurd, in short, it is enough to analyze the reflection that the text offers: if it is contradictory or even ridiculous, then we can have no doubts about it.
