I and Thou Essay

Present undertake engages in critical examination of ele custodytary concepts, observations and ideas, created by famous Jewish writer and philosopher Martin Buber in his concord I and kilobyte. Bubers book is often mentioned as one of the study influences in Western philosophical literature of the twentieth century. Specifically, the doctrine of dialogue, promoted by Buber resonated with and influenced similar component part of such philosophers and critiques, as Levinas, Bakthtine, existentialist philosopher (Sartre) and otherwises.Based on the analysis of Bubers ideas and their general philosophical context of the time, present essay defends the thesis that Bubers philosophy should be regarded as a Utopian project, characterized by the idealist vision of gentle society and nature and softness to find solution to sure tender contradictions. I and super C In his analysis of I in contemporary world Buber focuses on immaculate tradition of the philosophy of consciousnes s, derived from Descartes and Kant. In this tradition I is understood as pure subject of autonomous reason and ethical actions.The novelty of Bubers contribution is that he tries to dialectically link mortal I with early(a) (Thou). Unlike earlier attempts of Hegel and Husserl, Bubers attempt is characterized by deep influences of Judaism unearthly tradition. Basically, Buber conceptualizes the binary opposition of I and Thou as the source of any humans human races in the real world. In contrast to I relationship with It (an object), I Thou pair is characterized with intersection and exchange between contrastive consciousness, both singular (human) and objective (God).God is referred to by Buber as eternal Thou, one that constructs the firmest tie with I. It It relationship is regarded by Buber as the relationship which may be measured by the quantity of the objects we have in our daily life (Buber, 34). This relationship is non intimate and conscious. In contrast, I-Thou is a living relationship between people durable as long as another person is present in physical proximity and consciousness. The presence of an soulfulness near another individual automatically results in the exposition of I-Thou relationship up to now if it not perceived consciously.Spiritual relationship between variant subjects (I and Thou) is the basic law of human existence in general. Buber tries to symbolise this law using hermeneutic method. He fights that even in language, say Thou implies addressing your words and feelings to a given person and hence, Thou bunghole not be detached from consciousness it constitutes its distinct part. Using model of a tree, Buber shows that notwithstanding our placement, a tree would always be an object glass for us, because it lacks consciousness I can subdue its actual presence and contour so sternly that I recognize it only as an mental synthesis of law. (Buber, 51).Buber argues that I-Thou relationship can not be properl y explained it is best explicated by the concept of Love, reflected in God. God become Thou when he is instantly spoken too. According to Buber, God is present in every fount of human consciousness including arts, culture and music. Therefore, I-Thou relationship finds its outmost realization in the link between God and an Individual. Critique of Bubers ideas Notwithstanding dogmatic role of Bubers ideas in the formation of 20-th century existentialism and human- nerve centered philosophy of Dialogue, one should point to crucial drawbacks and deficiencies of Bubers ideas and approach.As it was note in the introduction, it bets to us that Buber falls into the trap of idealism and utopianism in the accounting of real human relations. Moreover, his use of religious doctrine of Judaism in addressing real world relationships may also seem to modern researchers problematic. First of all, human relationships in Bubers book ar conceptualized through the prism of individual consciou sness, an approach that was revolutionary in 18 and 19-th centuries, but significantly uncivilised behind modern teachings in social psychology, social and political sciences.Buber treats human relations at the train of individual consciousness, however, it contradicts empirical facts, which argue that individual behavior is mediated and influenced by cultural codes, traditions, institutions, such as family, law, working organization, education etc. To say that human relationships may be cut to abstract capriciousnesss of I and Thou means avoiding difficult issues of social roles, positions other factors. To say it plainly, in Bubers concept I is an abstract notion it is not a real, historical human being, but rather a certain philosophical concept.Moreover, it seems problematic to argue that I is pure in its will and thoughts. Psychoanalytic approach to human subjectivity vividly show that human consciousness is influenced by sub-conscious destructive forces, often unknown by an individual. There is no denying the importance of the fact, that Bubers interpretation of I Thou relations as the concentration of love, attachment is also idealist in essence. Such interpretation fails to see national, class and gender contradiction, which divide different human beings.Religious interpretation of God as Eternal Thou also seems controversial from scientific point of view. Buber argues that God is present in every sphere of human life, including literature, music and culture. However, these are created by men and hence, no role of God in their formation is evident. Moreover, it seems problematic to argue that God as perceived in Judaic tradition is the convention of love and intimateness. As Old Testament suggests, God was rather a protector of eternal laws, who punished people for non-abidance, rather than was a center of universal love.Notwithstanding these evident drawbacks and contradictions, one should point to crucial contribution of Bubers book to Weste rn philosophy. No matter how utopian and idealist, Bubers philosophy proved to be particularly instrumental in the growth of French existentialism and Russian school of literary critique. Bubers perspective on world as an inter-subjective relationship found its further development in the philosophy of Sartre, Kamu and other French philosopher. Levinas used Bubers philosophy of dialogue in the analysis oral speech and narrative language.Paralleling this development, Russian literary critique Bakthtine used Bubers ideas in his analysis of Dostoevskys protagonists through the prism of their dialogical relations at the level of consciousness. The last, but not the least, it should be mentioned, that Bubers concepts were the paramount of humanist philosophy in the 20th century. Notwithstanding their idealist and utopian nature they served as regulative ideas of behavior for several generations of intellectuals, including such renowned as Erich Fromm and Herbert Marcuse.To sum it up, Bub ers book I and Thou provides modern researcher with new concepts and ideas, many of which seem controversial and paradoxical. Basic deficiencies found in Bubers philosophy are linked with his utopianism and idealism and lack of attention to modern developments in social science, social psychology. The unnecessary reduction of human society to individual level makes it impossible to see a broader picture of inter-group relations and general social institutions role in human behavior. Notwithstanding these deficiencies, Bubers book provides a source of interesting and thought-provocative reading.