@philosophyminis: What would happen if you refused to say the lines that you are supposed to? If you spoke your mind and acted as you actually are, what would people think? Do you think the world is ready for someone with no filter whatsoever? Because this is how the protagonist of Albert Camus' novel The Outsider treats the world. And it's something I spoke to Laura Kennedy about in this week's Mini Philosophy interview, where we spent a happy hour discussing all things Camus. The Outsider's plot is fairly straightforward: after his mother dies, Meursault shoots 'the Arab' dead. At his trial, Meursault shows none of the usual reactions of a murderer. He's cold, nonchalant, and treats it all with indifferent detachment, even when it comes to the end. Meursault is somebody who won't play by the rules of the game, and we, the reader and the characters in the book, treat that with a mixture of respect and revulsion. On the one hand, we find it admirable when somebody speaks their mind; we find it authentic. On the other hand, there is something anti-social or sociopathic about somebody who never plays by the rules, or cares what other people think. For example, when Meursault says that he'll marry his girlfriend if that's what she wants, we appreciate his refreshing honesty. Yet when he fails to show any emotion whatsoever at his mother's funeral, or at his own murder trial, we see him as emotionless or broken, perhaps. So, do you want to be more like Meursault? Do you want to turn your back on social conformity and reject what the world tells you to do? Or do you think there is some value in fitting in and playing along?

Jonny Thomson

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Monday 22 September 2025 15:15:00 GMT