In This Selection Nagel Reflects on the Sense of Absurdity

question 5

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 none of us actually takes life seriously.

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Definitions:

pH

A numerical scale ranging from 0 to 14 that determines the level of acidity or alkalinity in water-based solutions.

pH

A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, quantified on a scale where 7 is neutral, values less than 7 are acidic, and values greater than 7 are alkaline.

Acidic

Describes a substance with a pH less than 7, indicating a higher concentration of hydrogen ions.

pH

A numeric scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution, with values ranging from 0 (acidic) to 14 (basic).