Camus Quote by Olaf Stapledon
““The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” ― Albert Camus””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview, 1962
Writers must challenge societal decay and provoke critical thought.
In simple terms: Writers protect civilization.
Key Takeaway
Use writing to question norms.
Themes
responsibility
culture
critique
Mood
reflective
urgent
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- journalism
- novel writing
- public discourse
Key Concepts
existentialism
social commentary
Questions to Reflect On
- How can writers influence change?
- What responsibilities do they bear?
A Different Perspective
May be limited by censorship or audience apathy.
![“It's true that women appear very little in [Albert Camus] works. They have a very marginal place.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/34e/catherine-camus-12238_littles_it-s-true-that-women-appear-very-little_1011183.jpg)
![“Where [Albert Camus] is in exile isn't especially in Paris or elsewhere, but from the intellectual world, because of his origins.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c3d/catherine-camus-12238_camus_where-albert-camus-is-in-exile-isn-t-esp_787803.jpg)
![“[Albert] Camus' was born in Algeria of French nationality, and was assimilated into the French colony, although the French colonists rejected him absolutely because of his poverty.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f43/catherine-camus-12238_algeria_albert-camus-was-born-in-algeria-of-fren_628933.jpg)
![“[Albert Camus] was not an existentialist!” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f71/catherine-camus-12238_albert_albert-camus-was-not-an-existentialist-5_524863.jpg)
![“We can't talk about the book [Albert Camus] wanted to write because we have barely its beginnings. He had written hardly any of it, but he needed to write it. It seems to me that if you look at the style of The First Man it conforms much more to who he was as a man, it resembles him very closely.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/982/catherine-camus-12238_book_we-can-t-talk-about-the-book-albert-camu_131209.jpg)
![“No visiting angel, or explorer from another planet, could have guessed that this bland orb [Earth] teemed with vermin, with world-mastering, self-torturing, incipiently angelic beasts.” quote by Olaf Stapledon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d65/olaf-stapledon-9950_angel_no-visiting-angel-or-explorer-from-anoth_12107.jpg)
![“[S]ervants of darkness had no lasting joy in their service. In all of them the will for darkness was a perversion of the will for the light. In all but a few maniacs the satisfaction of the will for darkness was at all times countered by a revulsion which the unhappy spirit either dared not…” quote by Olaf Stapledon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/de9/olaf-stapledon-9950_all-time_s-ervants-of-darkness-had-no-lasting-joy_509336.jpg)
![“I couldn't ever act or think on behalf of what my father [[Albert Camus]] would have said or done. He's an artist, he considers himself an artist, and so he takes on the responsibility of speaking for those who are not given the means or the opportunity.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/872/catherine-camus-12238_art_i-couldn-t-ever-act-or-think-on-behalf-o_48718.jpg)
