Quote by Albert Camus
God is not needed to create guilt or to punish. Our fellow men suffice, aided by ourselves. You were speaking of the Last Judgement. Allow me to laugh respectfully. I shall wait for it resolutely, for I have known what is worse, the judgement of men. For them, no extenuating circumstances; even the good intention is ascribed to crime. Have you at least heard of the spitting cell, which a nation recently thought up to prove itself the greatest on earth? A walled-up box in which the prisoner can stand without moving. The solid door that locks him in the cement shell stops at chin level. Hence only his face is visible, and every passing jailer spits copiously on it. The prisoner, wedged into his cell, cannot wipe his face, though he is allowed, it is true. to close his eyes. Well, that, mon cher, is a human invention. They didn't need God for that little masterpiece.
Summary
This quote highlights the idea that humans are capable of inflicting tremendous guilt, punishment, and judgment upon one another without the need for divine intervention. It speaks of the Last Judgment with a sense of skepticism, suggesting that the judgment and punishments imposed by society can be even more unbearable than any punishment a higher power could render. The reference to the "spitting cell" serves as an example of the cruel and creative ways in which humans can perpetrate suffering upon one another. Overall, the quote underscores the capacity for human cruelty and questions the necessity of divine involvement in the infliction of guilt and punishment.
Topics
Deception/lying
By Albert Camus
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