R: It Is Strange to Be Anything At All

Can we ever hope to grasp the cause and meaning of our individual human existence? Is it unexplainable, or the result of a grand, ordered and systematic process? If the latter, how do we retain freedom of choice and responsibility in a seemingly deterministic world? What role can a meaningful search for authenticity play in allowing us to exist in this indifferent world? These questions are perhaps even more important than ever for those trying to fight the progressive tide. Is it worth it to acquiesce to contemporaneous currents of history? Or do we have a moral obligation to ourselves (or anyone else) to remain true to our values? In a social, political and cultural context, how can we relate to the Other?