Simon holds a PhD in Philosophy and is the co-founder of the Albert Camus Society. Over the past twenty years he has worked helping to develop public interest in philosophy, philosophical literature, and theatre. His areas of special interest include Camus, Nietzsche, existentialism, absurdism, and mythopoesis.
Education
PhD Philosophy — University of Southampton, 2024
MPhil Philosophy — Lampeter, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, 2009
BA Philosophy — Lampeter, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, 2003
Areas of Expertise
Who Is Nietzsche’s ‘Sovereign Individual’?
The sovereign individual is Nietzsche’s mythological justification for human inequality.
The Dark Meaning Behind Camus’s Most Controversial Story
The most challenging of Camus’s short stories, ‘The Renegade,’ paints a picture of the violent inner turmoil of some thinkers on the Left.
Why Nietzsche Wanted His Works to Be Sung Rather Than Read
Nietzsche believed that ideas conceived while sitting down were not worthwhile; he wanted his books to be performed, not quietly read.
The Ancient Philosophy of Brutality in Euripides’ Cyclops
Is might always right, and is greed good? Euripides explores these questions in the world’s only extant complete satyr play.
Why Camus Disagreed With Sartre About Radical Human Freedom
Sartre believed human beings were responsible for who they become. For him, everyone has a free choice to be who they are. Camus disagreed.
Why Should We Imagine Sisyphus Happy? Explaining Camus’ Famous Quote
Many readers find it difficult to imagine Sisyphus happy. This difficulty arises when people fail to treat Camus’s account as a myth.
The Puzzling Truth/Lie Contradiction of Camus’ “The Stranger”
Albert Camus said of "The Stranger" that its anti-hero, Meursault, “refuses to lie,” but in the novel Meursault lies a lot. What is going on?
Why Barthes Thought Language Was Like a Skin
Barthes was always searching for a way of using language without cultural or ideological influences. He came to see language as a kind of skin.
Albert Camus’s Early Philosophy in “The Wrong Side and the Right Side”
Albert Camus’s first collection of lyrical essays, published in Algiers when he was just twenty-two years old, reveals the tragic beauty of Camus’s early philosophy.
What Camus’s Sisyphus Revealed About Human Dignity and the Absurd
The concepts of the absurd and human dignity both reveal something important about the value of human life. Most importantly, according to Camus’ Myth of Sisyphus, that life has value.
Why Theodor Adorno Did Not Suffer (Holy) Fools Lightly
Adorno opposed the idea of simplifying life and prizing the heart over the head as part of a nefarious plan to protect the status quo.
What Is “Worthiness” According to Thomas Hobbes?
After the English Civil War, Thomas Hobbes wanted to prevent a similar catastrophe from reoccurring. So, he challenged how we define the “worthiness” of leaders.