"Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it"
- Albert Camus
About this Quote
This quote by Albert Camus suggests that individuals who lack the guts to do something about it will frequently find a viewpoint or belief system to validate their inaction. This might be a belief that their inactiveness is the best thing to do, or that they are powerless to do anything. Camus is suggesting that people who do not have nerve will frequently utilize a viewpoint or belief system to make themselves feel better about their inaction. He is implying that guts is required to take action which those who lack it will typically discover a way to justify their inactiveness. This quote is a reminder that nerve is necessary to do something about it which we need to not be too fast to accept a viewpoint or belief system that justifies our inaction.
"I think philosophers can do things akin to theoretical scientists, in that, having read about empirical data, they too can think of what hypotheses and theories might account for that data. So there's a continuity between philosophy and science in that way"
"What I mean by photographing as a participant rather than observer is that I'm not only involved directly with some of the activities that I photograph, such as mountain climbing, but even when I'm not I have the philosophy that my mind and body are part of the natural world"