Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how the concept of social responsibility in the context of Parisian existentialism and in the works of Camus and Sartre goes beyond the simple social idea and transposes quite often in the philosophical realm. The paper specifically examines how Camus' "The Stranger" and "The Plague" and Satre's ""No Exit" are all influenced by existentialist concepts such as that of the absence of God and the existence of the absurd in everyday life.

From the Paper:

"In my opinion, the existential absurd, both of life and of simple things that make up life, also triggers the social responsibility in some of the existentialist works. One of the best examples in this sense is Camus's novel "The Plague". The novel starts with the absurd and apparently unimportant fact that is so important in existentialist works: upon leaving his building in the morning, Dr. Rieux notices several dead rats. Later on in the beginning of the novel, we are helped to associate the dead rats with the start of the plague. The absurd fact has triggered the plot of the novel."

Sample of Sources Used:

• 1. Baker, Richard. Sartre and Camus: Nausea and Existentialist Humor. Journal of Language and Literature. Volume 1, Issue 1, 2007.

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