Notes

Meursault should be found guilty because he killed someone. He did not kill out of hate, premeditation, insanity or involuntarily. That is all irrelevant. Meursault killed for a very selfish reason; maintaining his...

Meursault is guilty because he killed another person. His reasoning is that he was indifferent to that person and focused more on how the sun was making him uncomfortable. Not a good reason. He’s guilty. Meursault thinks life is meaningless and that those who uphold human ethics and values do so only to avoid going to jail or being killed themselves. So, for Meursault this is a cop out. Meursault stays true to his philosophy of absurdity. In fact, the court seems to be more appalled that Meursault doesn’t believe in the same things they do – more appalled than Meursault’s actual act of killing. So the novel is about mindless conformity to belief systems; where actions are condemned or sanctioned (not on their ethical merit, but whether or not they adhere to the belief system).

But, bottom line, Meursault is guilty. His entire philosophy is based upon freedom and this is what he took from another human being. He actually doesn’t see this because he is so ensconced in his selfishly indifferent life. He is guilty for the act regardless. Ironically, Meursault’s own belief system is just as vulnerable as the court’s because, like them, he refuses to back down. And that is plain old fundamentalism. Whenever you assume you have to be right, you become a fundamentalist and close your thinking. It doesn’t matter if Meursault thinks life is meaningless. That is what he thinks and if he wants the world to respect his right to think the way he does, he should do the same for the world.