Modesty as a Radical Attitude: A Comparison Between Democracy and Art

This chapter focuses on the radicality of modesty as an attitude that goes to the roots of human life, showing how it manifests itself in the realms of politics and art. Camus developed a radical analysis of twentieth-century politics, identifying a connection between democracy and modesty and using this link to confront the nihilistic attitudes spread by totalitarian regimes and “conquering spirits” within Western society. Camus’ attention to modesty is also connected to the idea which he developed during the same period regarding the concept of Art and the role of the artist which acts as like a democrat who defends pluralism and unity against homogenisation and totality.