Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1998 Albert Camus's Reconstruction of Symbolic Reality: Exile, Judgment, and Kingdom. Peter Alan Petrakis Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Petrakis, Peter Alan, "Albert Camus's Reconstruction of Symbolic Reality: Exile, Judgment, and Kingdom." (1998). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6697. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6697 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ALBERT CAMUS’S RECONSTRUCTION OF SYMBOLIC REALITY: EXILE, JUDGMENT, AND KINGDOM A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Political Science by Peter A. Petrakis B.A., University of Tennessee—Knoxville, 1986 M.S., Southern Mississippi University—Hattiesburg, 1991 May 1998 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9836898 UMI Microform 9836898 Copyright 1998, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgments A work of this length is rarely a solitary process. Writing a dissertation, furthermore, is a uniquely collaborative activity. But this work, in particular, would not have been possible without the dedication and support of numerous professors, family members, and friends. First, I must extend thanks to several faculty members at the University of Southern Mississippi for their advice, guidance, and scholarly insight. While they did not assist with this project, and certainly bear no responsibility for any mistakes, I owe a great deal to Dr. Ronald Marquardt, Dr. Joseph Parker, and Dr. Kathanne Greene. They, and other professors at Southern Mississippi, were extremely important to my development. In particular, Dr. Ed Wheat and Dr. James Lea’s influence has extended well beyond my years in Hattiesburg. Not only are they superlative teachers, they have provided invaluable support and advice. Next, I want to praise my experience at Louisiana State University. The graduate students and faculty converged to make my years here a superlative experience. Dr. James Stoner set the tone with rigorous seminars. His expertise, diligence, and patience are admirable, but it is his passion for philosophic thought that made the biggest impact. Dr. G. Ellis Sandoz’s seminars were equally trying, and his work ethic and enthusiasm left a major impression; but it is Dr. Sandoz’s openness that I admire the most. Always challenging students to stand up for their beliefs, the lessons learned in his classes go well beyond political philosophy. Dr. James Bolner is one of the kindest, most earnest, and most intelligent professors I have ever known. His wit and sagacity are superb, but his presence in the classroom is what I respect the most. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dr. T. Wayne Parent assisted me in so many ways that space does not permit proper acknowledgment. Trying to teach me the intricacies and subtitles of teaching as well as developing my research skills, he has been extremely important to my professional development. Yet, his friendship is what has been most important. Finally, I want to express my immense gratitude to Dr. Cecil L. Eubanks. Without him this dissertation would not have come to fruition. But as much as I appreciate his patience, diligence, and guidance on this project, it is his passion for teaching, his dedication to all his students, and the grace he demonstrates in every endeavor he is involved with that I admire the most. He has been a mentor in every sense of the term. He is also a very dear friend. I came to graduate school expecting to leam. I knew that much knowledge would be conveyed. What I did not expect, but what select faculty members provided, were examples of exemplary character. For these lessons, which are hard to come by, I thank you. Finally, I must endeavor to do the impossible: properly thank my family. Without the support of my mother and father, without their lessons, without their loving support, none of this would be possible. I wish to express special gratitude to my sister, Cathy, for always being there. Finally, I must thank my wife, Angela. Bearing the toughest of burdens with courage and strength, it is your love that sustains me. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS.....................................................................................................iii ABSTRACT......................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1. CAMUS’S RETURN TO SYMBOLS AND POLITICS Shaped by the Occupation ........................................................................................ 1 Symbols and Stories ............................................................................................... 9 Artist or Philosopher? ..............................................................................................12 Symbols as the Source........................................................................................... 35 2. SYMBOLS AND STORIES Cassirer....................................................................................................................48 Voegelin ..................................................................................................................58 Ricoeur .................................................................................................................. 71 Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 90 3. AN ARTIST’S SYMBOLIC RECONSTRUCTION OF POLITICAL REALITY Camus on Reason, Art, and Symbols.................................................................... 95 Exile, Judgment, and Kingdom ..........................................................................116 Camus’s Return and Reinvigoration.................................................................. 119 Exile in the Greek Tradition ............................................................................... 121 Exile in the Judeo-Christian Tradition............................................................... 127 Conclusion ............................................................................................................139 4. EXILE AND JUDGMENT A Stranger to Myself and the W orld .................................................................. 141 Essays in Isolation ...............................................................................................147 Exile and Condemnation ..................................................................................... 151 Transposed Judgment.......................................................................................... 162 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 169 5.