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Of Existence In Relation To Religion In The Stranger And The Name Of The Rose

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The Meaning of Existence in Relation to Religion in The Stranger and The Name of the Rose
In an article for The Telegraph, Umberto Eco wrote: “Human beings are religious animals. It is psychologically very hard to go through life without the justification, and the hope, provided by religion.” Accordingly, religion is a haven that the average person resorts to in order to make sense of his/her existence. Despite the stark differences between both texts in regards to genre, setting, and time period, Albert Camus and Umberto Eco exhibit the meaning of existence in relation to religion in The Stranger and The Name of the Rose.
The justification and hope religion provides its followers with are essential for many people and Camus captures this desperation for religion in The Stranger through the character of the magistrate. Meursault’s indifference towards God exposes the …show more content…

Eco depicts William as a follower of Roger Bacon, who seeks a rather more logical route than Jorge for instant. He is a proof that faith and critical thinking are not mutually exclusive. William does not seem like the average person who needs religion in order to find a meaning to his existence, but Adso, who witnesses William’s conclusions that conflict with God’s omnipotence, at some point asks: “Isn’t affirming God’s absolute omnipotence and His absolute freedom with regard to His own choices tantamount to demonstrating that God does not exist?”(The Name of the Rose 493) William answers: “How could a learned man go on communicating his learning if he answered yes to your question?” (The Name of the Rose 493) This can be interpreted as that William knows his own purpose in life, which is learning, and religion for him acts as a tool for this learning. That draws an antithesis between William and the other characters in The Name of the Rose who use religion as the purpose while William uses it as a mere tool for his

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