Albert Camus Quotes about War

The evil that is in the world always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence, if they lack understanding.

The evil that is in the world always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence, if they lack understanding.

Albert Camus

Life, Hate, War

"The Plague". Book by Albert Camus, 1947.

The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants.

Albert Camus

Peace, War, Tyrants

Albert Camus (2012). “Resistance, Rebellion, and Death: Essays”, p.101, Vintage

There was a time when I didn’t at any minute have the slightest idea how I could reach the next one. Yes, one can wage war in this world, ape love, torture one’s fellow man, or merely say evil of one’s neighbour while knitting. But, in certain cases, carrying on, merely continuing, is superhuman.

Albert Camus

War, Men, Ideas

Albert Camus (2012). “The Fall”, p.114, Vintage

We used to wonder where war lived, what it was that made it so vile. And now we realize that we know where it lives... inside ourselves.

Albert Camus

Peace, War, Realizing

Albert Camus (1963). “Notebooks”

He had been bored, that's all, bored like most people. Hence he had made himself out of whole cloth a life full of complications and drama. Something must happen - and that explains most human commitments. Something must happen, even loveless slavery, even war or death. Hurray then for funerals!

Albert Camus

War, Drama, Commitment

Albert Camus (2012). “The Fall”, p.37, Vintage

To be born to create, to love, to win at games is to be born to live in time of peace. But war teaches us to lose everything and become what we were not. It all becomes a question of style.

Albert Camus

Peace, War, Winning

Albert Camus (1969). “Notebooks”

There is a metaphysical honour in ending the world's absurdity. Conquest or play-acting, multiple loves, absurd revolt are tributes that man pays to his dignity in a campaign in which he is defeated in advance.... War cannot be negated. One must live it or die of it. So it is with the absurd: it is a question of breathing with it, of recognizing its lessons and recovering their flesh. In this regard the absurd joy par excellence is creation. "Art and nothing but art", said Nietzsche, "we have art in order not to die of the truth."

Albert Camus

Art, War, Men

But what are a hundred million deaths? When one has served in a war, one hardly knows what a dead man is, after a while. And since a dead man has no substance unless one has actually seen him dead, a hundred million corpses broadcast through history are no more than a puff of smoke in the imagination.

Albert Camus

War, Men, Imagination

Albert Camus (1962). “The Plague”

When a war breaks out, people say: "It's too stupid; it can't last long." But though a war may well be "too stupid," that doesn't prevent its lasting. Stupidity has a knack of getting its way; as we should see if we were not always so much wrapped up in ourselves.

Albert Camus

War, Stupid, Long

Albert Camus (1960). “Collected fiction”