Nature is still there, however. She contrasts her calm skies and her reasons with the madness of men. Until the atom too catches fire and history ends in the triumph of reason and the agony of the species. But the Greeks never said that the limit could not be overstepped. They said it existed and that whoever dared to exceed it was mercilessly struck down. Nothing in present history can contradict them.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Nature remains indifferent to human chaos, but human ambition risks destroying everything. The Greeks warned that exceeding natural limits leads to destruction.
- In plain terms
- Nature is calm while humans are mad, and pushing too far brings disaster.
- What can you take from it?
- Respect natural limits to avoid catastrophe.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What limits should society respect?
- How do we know when we have overstepped?
Another view
The quote assumes a clear natural limit exists which may be debatable.
More from Albert Camus
National society can be preserved only by opening it up to a universal perspective.
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