Buber, Martin

I and Thou

Buber's most well-known and engaging work, I and Thou, was originally published in 1923, but was not translated into English until 1937. Buber identified two ways in which humans relate to the world, each other, and the divine: “I–It” and “I–Thou.” Both are necessary to human existence, but direct humanity to different ends. “I” never exists independently of relationships, and “It” and “Thou” reflect different aspects of humanity, nature, and God. His work had a large influence on [Page 57]Jewish philosophy, and both Jewish and Christian theological studies, especially in his later writings such as Good and Evil and The Eclipse of God. I and Thou emphasized a dialogical view of humanity's relationship to God, and provided a metaphor that has influenced theologians and philosophers since its inception.

I–It indicates the relationship of a person to an object. The object is described in a language that categorizes it, impersonalizes it, and isolates it. The I–It relationship can be compared to a subject–object relationship where the subject is not relationally affected by the object; it is simply a relation of analysis and description. The primary limitation of the I–It relation is the one-way directionality of the relationship. The I is not moved or changed by its object; the relationship is already defined before there is any chance of reciprocal interaction. There is no sense of mutuality in the relationship; the “I” is denied any impact from the other. Although Buber showed the problematic aspects of this relationship, he also realized that both I–It and I–Thou were necessary aspects of humanity. Yet, Buber, felt that the I–It relationship had achieved a type of dominance that overshadowed the importance of

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