http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=306651 EISENBUD, DANIEL K. "Eisenbud's Odyssey: The Lesson of Israel's Existentialism." Www.JPost.com. The Jerusalem Post, Feb.-Mar. 2013.

Web. 06 Apr. 2013.

I.The most important lesson Israel teaches us is as timeless as it is priceless: that we

are the sum of our parts, which will only function at peak performance with a shared sense of humanity and responsibility.
II.This incongruity forces you to live in the moment, one way or another, and embrace the rarefied beams of light that miraculously make their way through a vast darkness that could easily consume you, like a black hole III. IN AMERICA children are initially taught that they must share, play well with others even make sacrifices for a group. But life quickly teaches them such sentiments are all well and good (wink wink), but self-interest is the true calling card for success. IV.In short, they learn that conformity of any kind is for sheep, not winners, who must elbow competitors out of the way on lifes merry-go-round if they are to reach the coveted brass ring. V.In short, you learn that if you expect anyone to look out for you in a volatile country that you care deeply about to simply care about your fate you must first become your brothers and sisters keeper. Such primal reciprocity, while harrowing in the given context, has resulted in the most pure and enlightened state I have ever attained. This is because it taught me that while life is delicate, by loving or caring for others as much, if not more, than ourselves, uncommon strength and bravery can be found. That its not about me. VI.Most significantly, it teaches us in no uncertain terms that humanity, combined with purpose, leads to meaning, which in turn leads to an inner peace that cannot be matched by any selfish endeavor. Forish, Jayne E. "Existence Precedes Essence: Jean-Paul Sartre's Existentialism and Human Emotions." Yahoo! Contributor Network. YAHOO VOICES, Mar.-Apr. 2007. Web. 06 Apr. 2013. I.In Jean-Paul Sartre's "Existentialism and Human Emotions," the author discusses the philosophical concept that existence precedes essence, a theory which involves elements of responsibility and freedom in regards to human choice. The idea that existence precedes essence means that a human being, as well as human reality, exists prior to any concepts of values or morals. A person is born a blank slate; humanity has no universal, predetermined principles or ethics common to all of mankind. Since no preformed essence or definition exists of what is means to "be human," a person must form his/her own conception of existence by asserting control of and responsibility for his/her actions and choices. Consequently, a human being gains his/her essence through individual choices and actions. It is solely through the process of living that one defines one's self. II.Through day-to-day living, one is continuously involved in the process of shaping one's identity. With the absence of any a priori moral code to abide by, humans possess the fundamental freedom to create their own system of beliefs. Such an individual freedom of

consciousness carries with it the burden of responsibility for the choices one makes. .Every human is responsible for his/her choices and actions. If one denies the responsibility if his/her own choices, then one is acting in bad faith, a form of self-deception which leads to feelings of anxiety, despair, anguish, and forlornness. Even when acting in bad faith, however, one is making the choice of avoiding responsibility It becomes evident, then, that one cannot avoid choice, which brings us back to the existential fact that "man's destiny is within himself III. According to Sartre, "there is no reality except in action (32)." Man is nothing other than the totality of his actions. For example, Beethoven can be defined by his nine symphonies (as well as his other compositions), but he cannot be defined by ten symphonies. Beethoven fulfilled himself and his existence through his compositions, the end product of his actions. It does not matter what he did not achieve (like a tenth symphony), for "reality alone is what counts (33)." Man acquires no strength from possibilities that were not lived out; man defines himself, rather, solely on the actions that did occur within his life. It is the sum of one's actions, not one particular action or circumstance, which defines one's human existence and individuality. All actions characterize man in the larger scope of his life, and no action goes unaccounted: "man ... is condemned every moment to invent man (23)." IV.From actions, one arrives at the concept of choice. Every man chooses his essence by choosing his actions. When man is born, he is nothing. Only through living and making choices does he conceptualize himself, and one cannot avoid choice. Even by taking no action in a particular situation, one is choosing to remain inactive; inaction, therefore, is an action within itself. (Sartre refers to this as quietism.) Consequently, man cannot avoid choice, and what man chooses has value to him. "[The action] has value only because it is chosen (21). V.One is not born with a sense of morality. Man must form his values through his choices, and, consequently, man becomes a product of his choice. Every choice made, then, is the correct choice because it defines one's being. No a priori meaning defines one as a human being; one must create his/her self by the absolute product of his/her choices. VI.ith choice comes responsibility. One is responsible for creating a certain image of his/her self through the choices he/she makes. People are responsible for each and every aspect of their selves, their consciousness, and their actions. Humans are also responsible for shaping the world around them through choice. Since there are no universal ethics, the choices an individual makes shapes the entire world around him/her. Therefore, human reality is perpetually in the process of being shaped by one's actions and choices: "Through his choice, [the individual] involves all mankind, and he can not avoid making a choice (41)." The universe is constructed in the course of choosing one's self. This places a burden of responsibility upon mankind to shape the existence of the ever-in-flux universe. When one denies this sense of responsibility, one is considered to be acting in bad faith. VII.Through man's own individual life-quest, he discovers and chooses the meaning of his own life. Man creates his existence through living, plain and simple. Living involves the freedom to make choices as well as the acknowledgement of responsibility for the choices one makes. With no a priori meaning in the universe, man is free to choose his essence as well as define the essence of the world which surrounds him. Man at first exists without purpose, but then he defines himself in the world through his actions and shapes the meaning of his existence by those actions. One's identity cannot be constructed by any outside force; no one else can choose the essence of another.

VIII.Therefore, identities are constructed solely by the individual's freedom of consciousness. Values are formed similarly, for no universal concept of morality exists prior to birth. Only through action and choice do values form, for "value is nothing else but the meaning that you choose (49)." When a human being first enters existence, he immediately begins to live and to choose the shape of his essence and, consequently, his values and identity.

Barash, David P. "The Chronicle Review." Evolution and Existentialism, an Intellectual Odd Couple. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Mar.-Apr. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2013. III. I We have no human Nature there is no Platonic form of the person, no ideal self of which our corporeal reality is a pale instantiation. Rather, we define ourselves, give ourselves meaning, establish our essence only via our existence, by what we do, how we choose to live our individual lives. We have no "human nature," just our own intentions.

Manchester, Sam. "Human and Being." Human and Being. Christian Today, Mar.-Apr. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2013.

The New Testament affirms that our answer of what a human is, is seen in Jesus. Jesus displays humanity in full flight, the perfect expression of rational, moral and relational faculties. He is affirmed as not only the display to us of what it means to be human, but he is also the means by which we come to understand and attain our true humanity. He is both the answer to our wondering and the goal of our longing. But until we humbly seek the answers he provides we will continually come up empty on our quest, trying to understand our place in the whole based on the sum of our parts. We need to know ourselves in relation to our maker and in relationship with Him. Sam Manchester is currently a theology student with an inescapable sociology degree behind him. In an attempt to reconcile the two, he reflects and writes about their coalescence in everyday life.