| Annotation: | My dissertation, titled The Philosophical Concept of Rebellion: Albert Camus and the Spirit of Anarchy contributes to CEFRES research area 2.The main focus of my dissertation is a historical analysis of the concept of rebellion. I work with the theories of the Russian anarchists, Mikhail Bakunin, Pyotr Kropotkin, and the French philosopher Albert Camus, all of whom consider rebellion as originating from the notion of freedom. Beyond this common thread, I have discovered a deeper, so far not-fully explored, historical and conceptual connection, between Camus’s philosophy of rebellion, the anarchist writings of Bakunin, and also Kropotkin.My dissertation is in the area of history of philosophy, and I am using the hermeneutical and comparative approach, in order to reconstruct coherent theories of rebellion in the thought of Bakunin, Kropotkin, and Camus, respectively. All three conceptualize rebellion as an intuitive and instinctive reaction to a perceived sense of injustice or limitation on the individual’s freedom and sphere of autonomy. Their understanding of freedom is rooted in the notion of human nature, which denies absolute authority of any given system or figure of power. Another common thread that links their theories is that a legitimate rebellion works for the universal improvement of the human condition, and must therefore develop into revolution. In the final part of my thesis, I am looking for ideas in their theories, which could be critically translated into a philosophical concept of rational rebellion, one that could be of use today. My PhD thesis is motivated by a prevalent contemporary problem – a dangerously misconceived notion of individual freedom, which sees the individual’s sphere of autonomy as unlimited and impervious to outside interference. This leads to all kinds of irrational rebellions, most recently witnessed in the revolt against public health measures during the pandemic, where certain groups rebelled against these measures in the name of individual freedom. |
