Get Lost in Sawyer's Bookshelf

Episode appearances:
Season 6, Episode 1: LAX (Parts 1 & 2)

Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard is found at the entrance to the temple where Montand from Rousseau's team was killed by the Smoke Monster. When they return to the temple in Part 2 of the Season 6 opener, they come across Montand's remains and his backpack. "Who brings a book into a cave?" Hurley asks.

With a title that references Philippians 2:12—"Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling"—Fear and Trembling discusses fundamental issues in moral philosophy. Kierkegaard acts as a defense attorney for Abraham in an interpretation of the Biblical tale where Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove his devotion. Its dominant themes are tests of faith, the ethics of choice and faith's relationship with ethics and morality. It concludes that faith is admirable but Abraham's willingness to kill his son remains incomprehensible—that his faith finds its foundation in an absurd belief.

Is this a commentary on the roles that faith and choice have played between Ben Linus and Jacob? Consider that Ben killed John Locke, which enabled him to get back to the island but also gave the Man In Black room to move—who turned right around and killed Jacob with Ben's help. Was it the right choice?