In the story's first half, Meursault is an unperceptive man, existing only via sensory experience (the funeral procession, swimming in the sea, sleeping with his girlfriend). Meursault is unaware of the absurdity of human existence, yet it colours his actions, the only real and true things are his physical experiences, he kills an Arab man, 'his response to the sun's physical effects upon him', on the brightly over lit beach. In itself, his killing of the Arab man is meaningless, merely another occurrence that happens to Meursault. The significance is in his forced introspection about his life, and its meaning, while contemplating his impending death by formal execution; only in formal trial and death does he acknowledge his mortality and responsibility for his own life.
- Existentialism focuses on the condition of human existence and an individuals emotions - action - responsibilities - thoughts - meaning or purpose of life.
- "The Absurd" refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent meaning in life and the human inability to find any. Absurd does not mean "logically impossible"
- Determinism In physics - is known as cause-and-effect.
- Nihilism is the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Existential nihilism - argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Moral nihilists assert that morality does not inherently exist and that any established moral values are abstractly contrived. Nihilism can also take epistemological - metaphysical - ontological forms - meaning that in aspect of knowledge is not possible or that contrary to our belief some aspects of reality does not exist!
In the story's first half, Meursault is an unperceptive man, existing only via sensory experience (the funeral procession, swimming in the sea, sleeping with his girlfriend). Meursault is unaware of the absurdity of human existence, yet it colours his actions, the only real and true things are his physical experiences, he kills an Arab man, 'his response to the sun's physical effects upon him', on the brightly over lit beach. In itself, his killing of the Arab man is meaningless, merely another occurrence that happens to Meursault. The significance is in his forced introspection about his life, and its meaning, while contemplating his impending death by formal execution; only in formal trial and death does he acknowledge his mortality and responsibility for his own life.