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:

Lower Brain

Refers to the brainstem and diencephalon, areas responsible for basic life functions such as breathing, heart rate, and arousal.

Cultural Rules

The implicit and explicit norms that guide behaviors, beliefs, and values within a specific culture.

Angry

A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility, often as a reaction to a perceived wrong or injustice.

Display Rules

Culturally determined guidelines that dictate how and when emotions should be expressed in social situations.