Albert Camus's Moral Philosophy and its Relevance to Life in Nigeria

The ethics of Albert Camus cannot be separated from his general philosophical world view. He conceived human life in this world as meaningless and full of absurdities. Though this view is held by most existential philosophers, what sets Camus apart is his recommendation on how man should live in the face of this absurdity, which is reflected in his ethical theory. Camus’s critics point out that he failed to systematize his ethics, while ignoring the tenets in his ethics that could positively impact society. This study examines the ethics of Camus to critically explore the moral implications of his philosophy highlighting the ethical method and principles that underpin his work. The analysis is carried out using the analytic method to evaluate Camus’s ethical theory. This is with a view to determine its relevance to humanity today. Camus left valuable moral principles like, rebelling against the absurdity of life by refusing to commit suicide, saying no to death penalty, holding life as man’s greatest value in this world, and respect for the rights of others. The paper concludes that ethical theories have had great impact on human societies, and can do same for Nigeria. The study applies Camusian ethics to interrogate the #EndSARS protest in Nigeria, a land greatly endowed, but which delivers the negation of her true potentials. Drawing vital insights to how citizens can adapt, and survive while authorities can glean how best to protect rights of citizens and promote the sanctity of human life. The moral decay in society can be moderated by the propagation and adoption of sound moral principles some of which are identified in the ethical theory of Albert Camus.