Martin Buber’s “I and Thou” delivers a philosophy of private dialogue as it describes how personal dialogue can outline the character of reality. The book’s main theme is that life could also be outlined by the manner in which people tend to interact in dialogue with one another, with nature, and with God. According to Buber, a person might have two attitudes: I-Thou or I-It. I-Thou is a subject-to-subject relationship, whereas I-It is a subject-to-object relationship.
Within the I-Thou relationship, people are conscious of one another and acknowledge their existence. They actively participate in a conversation resulting in unity. However, in the I-It relationship, people view one another as being made up of detailed qualities, and perceive themselves as only a part of a world that contains things. I-Thou is a mutual relationship of support, whereas I-It is a relationship of disconnection and being separate.
Buber discusses that a person might attempt to change an I-Thou relationship to an I-It relationship, or the other way around. However, according to Buber, when a subject is studied as an object, the subject is no longer a Thou, but instead becomes an It. Therefore, the subject which is examined as an object is the It in an I-It relationship.
The subject-to-subject relation affirms every subject as having a unity of being. Once a subject matter becomes an I-Thou relation, it involves the subject’s whole being. Thus, the I-Thou relation is an act of selecting, or being chosen, to become the topic of a subject-to-subject relation. The topic becomes a subject matter through the I-Thou relation, and therefore the act of selecting this relation affirms the subject’s whole being.
Buber says that the I-Thou relation isn’t a way to ...
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... read it sporadically, I was reminded of Buber and how God is the epitome of any relationship.
Both Arthur and Buber believe that having a flourishing relationship with God is vital to the Christian walk. Buber sees God as the eternal Thou, and our relationship with God as the primary example of any other relationship whether it be between a subject or an object. Kay also states that when we have a true relationship with God, first and foremost, everything else in our lives falls into place. With God as our number one priority, we have a better understanding of who He is, by joining the ultimate I-Thou relationship.
Works Cited
Arthur, Kay. Having a Real Relationship with God. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook, 2001. Print.
Buber, Martin. I and Thou. New York: Scribner, 1958. Print.
"The Christian Broadcasting Network." Kay Arthur. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
Her choices of metaphors are simplistic explanations providing the backdrop for the emotional and spiritual connection we seek in following Christ. The symbolic comparisons of Mary Magdalene, her relationship to Jesus, mirrors some of Julian of Norwich’s personal spiritual journey of prayerful contemplation while seeking intimacy in her relationship to God.
Not only is human connection vital to live a happy and joyful life, but it is necessary to create a legacy, and thus live on through others. But in order to do this, one must first overcome their ego and their sense of self. Once all of the “I” thoughts are gone, one can relate, but fully understand, the higher powers as well as other human beings around us. However, it is important to accept that we may never fully understand the driving force of this universe. While it can be experienced, and we can briefly get an idea of what it is, it is impossible to define these concepts in words, because we don’t have a language that transcends what we can understand. And though many recognize that these concepts could never be fully understood by the human brain, determined minds continue to ask questions that will never have an answer, “pushing their minds to the limits of what we can know” (Armstrong,
Warnock, Adrian. "Loving God: A Guide for Beginners." adrianwarnock.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. .
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Therefore, we can conclude that what is meaningful can only be acquired through what is real. Connection to an object is not real connection at all. We can only have connection with another being. It is only in this connection where a true sharing of our essence is possible. An individual who remains in the I-It experience, will never fully develop his own person and his life will never attain a true meaning. However, this relationship with the one another is not found by searching for it, rather it happens by chance. The problem is that by seeking it we are susceptible to a predisposition similar to the way we desire an object converting it to an I-It relationship. We find the Thou by allowing it to occur freely, in this way there are no assumptions or expectations and a real connection can be made.
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...ribe to. It is about being conscious in a continuous way, and having that consciousness be attached to a specifically identified body.
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they are one person combined together. A special bond is shared and a sense of