Similarities Between The Plague And The Plague
Camus' The Plague, the Myth of Sisyphus and the Constitution of the World Health Organization all clarify the relationship between ethics and fiction by focusing on grief and suffering as part of the human experience, as well as reiterating that one can achieve happiness once they accept their fate. When comparing Camus' literary and philosophical pieces, this clarification is quite evident with respect to the analysis of happiness in Camus' Myth of Sisyphus and its application to a specific character in The Plague. The WHO constitution takes an additional step by utilizing happiness as the basis for its principles, which makes me question the efficacy of laws that not only rely on high standards for health, but also negate that the average human experience is not perfect; grief and suffering are inevitable factors in a human life and they are essential to attaining
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genuine happiness as defined by the individual.
The Constitution of the World Health Organization seems to represent the best outcome of the relationship between ethics and literary fiction. Each principle centers on two ideas: perfect state of health for all individuals as the end goal of "global health" improvement and the idea that exceptional health is happiness within itself (1946). The points made in this constitution would all contribute to the best case scenario for health on the global level, yet they are far-fetched from our current reality. I question the feasibility of each principle and would like to see an updated constitution that outlines the steps which need to be taken in order to achieve health according to its standards. I also would be more in agreement with the constitution's principles if the World Health Organization took into account the political, economic and social atmospheres of each country, because there is currently an over-generalization of how to improve health around the world. Most importantly, these principles make the assumption that an individual's happiness is dependent on the quality of their well-being. An international organization defining happiness for a human being seems illogical and represents another corporation exerting its control upon those who are deemed less powerful. Perhaps the WHO constitution could re-analyze the relationship between ethics and fiction, in regards to the human experience and happiness, to develop principles that are attainable and realistic for all countries.
Camus' Myth of Sisyphus explores the theme of genuine happiness through the tragedy of an absurd hero, Sisyphus. For instance, Sisyphus' punishment for stealing secrets is to push a boulder up a steep incline for it to roll back down to the bottom, thus going through this process for an eternity. According to Camus, Sisyphus experiences true tragedy when he enters the moment of consciousness, which occurs as he makes the trek back to the bottom of the hill in order to repeat his task. Once Sisyphus accepts his fate, his eternal punishment becomes his form of genuine happiness. In other words, happiness and grief are complements of each other; one may never know happiness if they do not experience moments of suffering and vice versa. This association is quite evident in Camus' The Plague, which portrays long-term suffering and genuine happiness as the result of an epidemic. Raymond Rambert, in particular, is notable for self-sacrificing his desire to return home to his wife in order to assist the local physician with developing sanitation measures in the community. He eventually accepts his fate of being quarantined in the city of Oran after countless attempts to escape the town to reunite with his spouse (Camus). There is an distinct parallel between Rambert and Sisyphus — Rambert acknowledges his fate that is influenced by forces out of his control as well as the consequences of the plague, thus achieving his definition of happiness in its most genuine form. It is after this process that Rambert has authority over his fate and defines happiness on his own terms. Moreover, the culmination of grief and suffering from Rambert's human experience enables him to attain happiness and be content with his current situation.
In the Myth of Sisyphus and The Plague, the underlying themes of happiness and the importance of the human experience clarify the relationship between ethics and fiction.
It is also important to recall that both works are allegories for realism, as it pertains to the human condition, and dogma. With that being said, the connection of the literary and philosophical should be a source of guidance for global health policies and declarations, such as the WHO Constitution. All of the principles in this legislation are exceptional in theory, but they are not as realistic as the creators might have intended them to be. For example, health does not necessarily equate to happiness — this is for the individual to decide. Camus argues that one must accept their fate, which is most likely filled with moments of grief and suffering, to create their own happiness. External forces should not have the power to have this much control over an individual. Thus, a more pragmatic approach is much needed to ensure better health for all human beings and utilizing the main themes of Camus' writings would aid in this
process. In sum, Camus' Myth of Sisyphus and The Plague are essential to understanding the value and complexity of the human experience. I believe the lessons from each work is applicable, if not relatable, to real life and improvements in global health. If the creators of the Constitution of the World Health Organization were to consider revising their principles based on the idea of happiness, they would need to think critically about how grief and suffering are also part of the human condition. The true aim of this concept is to not only assess how certain upstream factors are causing grief and suffering at the individual, community and global level, but to also develop effective modes of prevention as they pertain to the economic, political and social sectors of a society. After all, the state of global health is the result of interactions amongst these environments.
genuine happiness as defined by the individual.
The Constitution of the World Health Organization seems to represent the best outcome of the relationship between ethics and literary fiction. Each principle centers on two ideas: perfect state of health for all individuals as the end goal of "global health" improvement and the idea that exceptional health is happiness within itself (1946). The points made in this constitution would all contribute to the best case scenario for health on the global level, yet they are far-fetched from our current reality. I question the feasibility of each principle and would like to see an updated constitution that outlines the steps which need to be taken in order to achieve health according to its standards. I also would be more in agreement with the constitution's principles if the World Health Organization took into account the political, economic and social atmospheres of each country, because there is currently an over-generalization of how to improve health around the world. Most importantly, these principles make the assumption that an individual's happiness is dependent on the quality of their well-being. An international organization defining happiness for a human being seems illogical and represents another corporation exerting its control upon those who are deemed less powerful. Perhaps the WHO constitution could re-analyze the relationship between ethics and fiction, in regards to the human experience and happiness, to develop principles that are attainable and realistic for all countries.
Camus' Myth of Sisyphus explores the theme of genuine happiness through the tragedy of an absurd hero, Sisyphus. For instance, Sisyphus' punishment for stealing secrets is to push a boulder up a steep incline for it to roll back down to the bottom, thus going through this process for an eternity. According to Camus, Sisyphus experiences true tragedy when he enters the moment of consciousness, which occurs as he makes the trek back to the bottom of the hill in order to repeat his task. Once Sisyphus accepts his fate, his eternal punishment becomes his form of genuine happiness. In other words, happiness and grief are complements of each other; one may never know happiness if they do not experience moments of suffering and vice versa. This association is quite evident in Camus' The Plague, which portrays long-term suffering and genuine happiness as the result of an epidemic. Raymond Rambert, in particular, is notable for self-sacrificing his desire to return home to his wife in order to assist the local physician with developing sanitation measures in the community. He eventually accepts his fate of being quarantined in the city of Oran after countless attempts to escape the town to reunite with his spouse (Camus). There is an distinct parallel between Rambert and Sisyphus — Rambert acknowledges his fate that is influenced by forces out of his control as well as the consequences of the plague, thus achieving his definition of happiness in its most genuine form. It is after this process that Rambert has authority over his fate and defines happiness on his own terms. Moreover, the culmination of grief and suffering from Rambert's human experience enables him to attain happiness and be content with his current situation.
In the Myth of Sisyphus and The Plague, the underlying themes of happiness and the importance of the human experience clarify the relationship between ethics and fiction.
It is also important to recall that both works are allegories for realism, as it pertains to the human condition, and dogma. With that being said, the connection of the literary and philosophical should be a source of guidance for global health policies and declarations, such as the WHO Constitution. All of the principles in this legislation are exceptional in theory, but they are not as realistic as the creators might have intended them to be. For example, health does not necessarily equate to happiness — this is for the individual to decide. Camus argues that one must accept their fate, which is most likely filled with moments of grief and suffering, to create their own happiness. External forces should not have the power to have this much control over an individual. Thus, a more pragmatic approach is much needed to ensure better health for all human beings and utilizing the main themes of Camus' writings would aid in this
process. In sum, Camus' Myth of Sisyphus and The Plague are essential to understanding the value and complexity of the human experience. I believe the lessons from each work is applicable, if not relatable, to real life and improvements in global health. If the creators of the Constitution of the World Health Organization were to consider revising their principles based on the idea of happiness, they would need to think critically about how grief and suffering are also part of the human condition. The true aim of this concept is to not only assess how certain upstream factors are causing grief and suffering at the individual, community and global level, but to also develop effective modes of prevention as they pertain to the economic, political and social sectors of a society. After all, the state of global health is the result of interactions amongst these environments.