Martin Buber

I and Thou

1. IDEA 1

   We relate in two basic ways

   Buber argues that humans have two basic ways of relating to the world. In I-It relations, we treat people and things as objects to use or study. In I-Thou relations, we meet another being fully, as a whole presence.

2. IDEA 2

   I-It is necessary but limited

   Buber does not reject I-It relations; they are needed for science, work and daily life. But if we only relate this way, he argues, we lose something essential about being human.

3. IDEA 3

   I-Thou is a real encounter

   In an I-Thou relation, we meet another without using them for any purpose. Buber describes this as a moment of genuine encounter, where both are present to each other. Nothing stands between them.

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