Existentialism, as a philosophy, gained prominence after World War II. Instead of focusing upon a particular aspect of human existence, existentialists argued that our focus must be upon the whole being as he/she exists in the world. Rebelling against the rationalism of such philosophers as Descartes and Hegel, existentialists reject the emphasis placed on man as primarily a thinking being. Freedom is central to human existence, and human relations and encounters cannot be reduced simply to thinking: the whole being is involved with the progress toward freedom. This dictionary provides - through alphabetically arranged entries - overviews of the various tenants, philosophers, and writers of existentialism - and of those writers/philosophers who, in retrospect, seem to existentialists to espouse their philosophy, such as Nietzsche and Kirkegaard.

In the final weeks of 1987, the Gaza Strip became the major battleground of what is considered one of the few authentic national rebellions of the second half of the 20th century. Although the story of the Intifada in the Gaza Strip, with its tragic and inspiring outcomes, is slowly fading from the world's collective memory, the repercussions have ongoing impact on today's peace process. Beyond Intifada presents the captivating personal stories of six Palestinians, adding a rich, human dimension to the news events that the Western media has only partially explored. Helping to put their stories in perspective, the book provides a brief history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, as well as an overview of the Intifada itself. As the conflict in the Middle East continues, the personal stories in Beyond Intifada provide an remarkable glimpse beyond the politics into the lives of Palestinian people.

This book presents the personal narratives of six Palestinians—four men and two women—whose stories are central to describing the greater Palestinian plight in the Gaza Strip, the Intifada, the beginning of the 1993 peace process, and beyond. Each Palestinian has related crucial events in his or her life story, and by reading their accounts, we come to see the struggle through their eyes and put a human face on events that Western media and consciousness have only partially explored. The story of the Intifada in the Gaza Strip, with its tragic and inspiring outcomes, is slowly fading from the world's collective memory. In the final weeks of 1987, however, this small strip of land became the major battleground of what the authors consider one of the few authentic national rebellions of the second half of the 20th century. This book presents the personal narratives of six Palestinians—four men and two women—whose stories are central to describing the greater Palestinian plight in the Gaza Strip, the Intifada, the beginning of the 1993 peace process, and beyond. Each Palestinian has related crucial events in his or her life story, and by reading their accounts, we come to see the struggle through their eyes and put a human face on events that Western media and consciousness have only partially explored. This book is an important corrective for scholars, students, researchers, and the general reading public concerned about the contemporary Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The I-Thou controversy between these two thinkers is a significant but often overlooked issue in philosophy and theology. In one of the first books to truly address the subject, Haim Gordon explores the arguments of both Martin Heidegger and Martin Buber regarding the The I-Thou relationship and its significance for human existence. Gordon's work illuminates Heidegger's complex and enlightening ontology--one that describes the everyday life of the human in such a way that there is no place for the I-Thou relationship. Buber, on the other hand, argues for the significance of the I-Thou relationship within human existence, and highlights the ways in which Heidegger's philosophy fails to grasp this important point. After examining the fundamental ontology of Heidegger, set beside the ontological insights of Buber concerning this relationship, Gordon concludes that each of these important twentieth-century philosophers was guilty of ignoring the contributions made by the other to the study of ontology and being.

By exploring the complicated dynamic between Heidegger and Buber, Gordon presents the reader with valuable insights and a deeper understanding of human existence and relationships. The implications of both this controversy and its resolution are far reaching for many other philosophical disciplines, including social and political philosophy, metaphysics, and ethics.

The area of philosophy defined as existentialism gained prominence after World War II. Among the more popular existentialist philosophers and writers are Friedrich Nietzsche, Soren Kierkegaard, and Fyodor Dostoyevski. Instead of focusing upon a particular aspect of human existence, existentialists focus on the whole being as he or she exists in the world. Rebelling against the rationalism proposed by such writers as Descartes and Hegel, existentialists reject the emphasis placed on the human being as primarily a thinking being. Freedom, they counter, is central to human existence. Correspondingly, human relations and experiences can not be reduced simply to thinking, as the whole being becomes involved with the processes. This dictionary provides, through alphabetically arranged entries, brief overviews of the tenets, philosophers, and writers of existentialism.

This reference book is intended as a tool to provide students and scholars with concise information on particular existentialist thinkers, writers, terms, and ideas. The alphabetical organization, coupled with cross references throughout the text, makes the work easily accessible to those looking up specific information and to those tracing interconnected ideas, philosophers, and writers. The bibliography identifies helpful resources for further study.

This collection of essays by Israeli, Palestinian, and American scholars and activists examines the impact of the June 1967 War on Palestinians and Israelis alike in the thirty years following the war. Israel became an occupying power in 1967, ruling more than one million Palestinians in territories it had captured. Using military strength, with the tacit agreement and support of the United States and other Western democracies, Israel exploited and oppressed the Palestinians, brutally suppressing their civil, human, and political rights. This book evaluates and examines the injustices done to the Palestinians during this period.

In this first attempt to look back at those thirty years and assess what has happened to Israeli and Palestinian society, the contributing scholars provide a critique of the prevailing "Realpolitik" in the Middle East and, indeed, the world today. Bound to be controversial, the collection will be of great interest to scholars and policy makers, as well as concerned citizens interested in the contemporary Middle East.

What can we learn from the novels of Graham Greene? This book argues that Greene's writings have much to teach us about fighting evil here and now, and about endeavoring to live a worthy life. In novels that span half of the twentieth century, Greene related stories of evil persons who destroyed the freedom of others and of a few simple people who fought them. Through these stories he showed us three basic truths: first, evil exists; second, it is possible to fight it; and third, one may attain wisdom and sometimes a very limited glory by undertaking such a struggle. Gordon's study sets forth its own important lesson: thinking and assuming responsibility for the world, guided by the reading of great literature, are keystones of any worthy life.

Sartre has more to say about Evil--its origins in, effects on modern man, and how to fight it--than any other philosopher in the 20th century. In this book, the authors examine many of Sartre's literary and philosophical writings for what they have to say about the nature of Evil and its effect on our lives. From this, they evolve guidelines for those wishing to fight Evil in their own lives. Using examples from their experience with human rights violations, the authors suggest that Evil is any attempt to purposely destroy the freedom of a person, and clearly demonstrate that Sartre's work can be useful as a guide for getting along in the contemporary world.

This collection of spiritual testimonies is committed to the idea that genuine dialogue between men and women that acknowledges the essential fully-gendered human aspect of each is the foundation for achieving true liberation of the sexes. This study looks to the traditions of the five major religions of the world for guidance. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are examined by five women who, drawing on their own personal experiences, individually address how the issues of justice and equality are manifested in their respective religions, and search for teachings within those traditions that would promote meaningful dialogue.

Of central concern to the text is the concept that both sexes have responsibility for extracting the core lessons from their own particular cultural and religious framework, and the inclusion of writings by men as partners in this pursuit evidences the work's dialogical approach. Hopeful that men and women will witness the essential equality that is the heart of our belief systems, the work concludes with an outline of educational methods designed to encourage the kind of dialogue that can promote authentic freedom.

In November 1988 Naguib Mahfouz became the first Arab writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. In this study of his writings only now being widely translated into English, Haim Gordon, an Israeli professor committed to intercultural dialogue, examines Mahfouz's work from an existential perspective. While Mahfouz is first and foremost a storyteller, he gives the reader an extra "baksheesh." By telling stories of persons from all walks of life--civil servants, peasants, pimps, lawyers, and businessmen--Mahfouz depicts the existential problems that Egyptians face today. Using a Socratic approach, Gordon questioned Mahfouz directly in a series of personal interviews conducted over the past ten years. In these interviews Gordon probed the existential themes in the characters, plots, and issues raised in Mahfouz's stories. The result is an intimate and highly personal look at life in Egypt. As a very involved and critical onlooker, Haim Gordon addresses the problems facing contemporary Egyptians as portrayed in Mahfouz's stories: the Egyptian's flight from freedom and confrontation, the "niggar" situation of Egyptian women, the debilitating effects of poverty, the blatant oppression of political rights, the degradation of true faith and the lack of spirituality. Mahfouz's stories reveal that which western scholars unintentionally, and politicians intentionally conceal--daily life in Egypt.

"Make Room for Dreams" examines Zionism from both a philosophical and practical point of view. This in-depth study reviews and evaluates the notion that Zionism has become a way of enlisting political or economic support for Israel and is no longer seen as a movement that should seek ways to realize humane or spiritual goals. The discussion focuses on the concept of Zionism as the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, a return that must be accompanied by a changing of certain basic attitudes concerning the Jews' mode of being-in-the-world. The manner of blending existentialism with political thought is seen in relation to the Biblical experience, and it is shown that Zionist challenges must draw their sustenance from the ability to read the Bible with existential and political awareness.

It presents five specific challenges for Zionism in Israel, citing concrete examples from life in Israel, and some examples from the history of Zionism. The current situation is also described, and precise determinations for responding to the challenges are woven into each chapter. Also included is a thought-provoking summary of the manner in which a more authentic Jewish existence can be lived in Israel. This scholarly work is the first to deal with the complex issues behind the Zionist movement in present-day Israel, and will provide a valuable resource for philosophers, political scientists, and students in Jewish studies.