In This Selection Nagel Reflects on the Sense of Absurdity

question 11

True/False

In this selection Nagel reflects on the sense of absurdity that most of us feel from time to time. The sense of absurdity arises, he says, from the "collision between the seriousness with which we take our lives and the perpetual possibility of regarding everything about which we are serious as arbitrary, or open to doubt." Nagel thinks that Camus's response to the absurd (defiance or scorn) is inappropriate; it's "romantic and slightly self-pitying." He prefers instead to approach the absurd with acceptance, with irony instead of heroism or despair.
-Nagel says that the absurdity of our situation derives from a collision between our expectations and the world.

---

Definitions:

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of defining and naming groups of biological organisms on the basis of shared characteristics, often organized into a hierarchical classification.

Humans

Homo sapiens, the species of bipedal primates to which all modern human beings belong.

Climate Changes

Long-term alterations in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other aspects of the Earth's climate system.

Human Brain

The central organ of the human nervous system, responsible for processing sensory information, regulating bodily functions, and enabling thought, memory, and emotion.