Martin Buber: The Philosophy of Dialogue

Introduction Buber spoke and read Hebrew, Yiddish, Polish, German, Greek, Latin, French, Italian, and English!

Introduction Buber demonstrated in his own life the power of the Jewish ideal of study as a form of prayer and a path to wisdom.

I-Thou: The Dialogic Principle Our meaning comes from our connectedness. The extent to which we are disconnected is the extent to which we feel meaninglessness.

I-Thou: The Dialogic Principle The I-It relationship is in fact a relationship with oneself; it is not a dialogue, but a monologue.

Us-Them Those who have managed to cut through the terrible complexities of life and offer such a scheme of Us-Them have been hailed as prophets in all ages.

Summary We do not see God because we cannot find him alone. God is only found in a relationship, where “I AM” becomes “He is Present.”

Summary Buber demonstrates that wisdom is found not in certitude, but in seeking; not in solitude, but in relationship; not in the I-It, but in the I-Thou.