About Simon Lea
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
About Simon Lea
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
How Camus Overcame Crippling Anxiety and Wrote One of His Greatest Novels
Albert Camus’s poor health, obsession with death, and anxiety led him to write "The Fall," a master study of moral narcissism.
What Are Political Myths & Can We Do Without Them?
Political myths provide the common-sense motivation and justification for political calls to action.
How Albert Camus’s First Marriage Influenced the Writing of His Darkest Novel
Devastated by the failure of his marriage and working through some personal demons, Camus wrote "A Happy Death," his darkest novel.
Nietzsche’s Demon: Why We Need to Revaluate All Our Values
In The Gay Science, Nietzsche proposes a radical idea that paves the way for an entirely different understanding of life.
How Conflicting Desires Influenced Albert Camus’s Philosophy
Camus’s life was marked by a conflict between solitude and solidarity that informed his philosophy.
Why Albert Camus Fell Out With the French Left
Camus’ philosophy of the absurd informed his ethical thinking in a way that meant he could not support the USSR and the Communist Party.
The Tragic Final Years of Friedrich Nietzsche
Nietzsche suffered from poor physical health for almost all of his productive life. How much did his mental health affect his work?
Why Emil Cioran Thought Life Was a Mistake
Cioran believed that human existence was marked by failure and life was a mistake. However, he argued that failure is more valuable than success.
How Raphael’s Transfiguration of Christ Inspired One of the World’s Most Famous Atheists
Nietzsche despised Christianity for, in his view, naysaying life. Yet he took great inspiration from a devotional painting of Christ.
What Sartre Says About Bad Faith and Inauthenticity in His “Altona”
Altona is a play about bad faith. Ostensibly written about German guilt over World War II, the ideas are also applicable to French actions in Algeria.
Who Is Mr. Nosy Daredevil in Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morality?
Mr. Nosy Daredevil’s journey into the dark workshop in which "ideals are fabricated" is a strange addition to Nietzsche’s Genealogy. Why did he include it?
You Probably Got Nietzsche’s Most Famous Maxim Wrong!
Nietzsche’s well-known maxim is not about radical acceptance of the negative but of a fervent love for the negative things in life.