The Philosophy of Martin Buber

 

The philosopher Martin Buber (1904–1977) was an Austrian-Jewish and Israeli philosopher who is best known for his philosophy of dialogue. His philosophy of dialogue is a form of existentialism that focuses on the distinction between the I–Thou and the I–It relationship. The goal of dialogue is to create a sense of self and community and an understanding of the self. It is important to recognize the difference between these two types of relationships and consider how they might be cultivated and developed.

The book I and Thou introduced the thesis of human existence in the early 1900s. Inspired by Kierkegaard's Single One and Feuerbach's The Essence of Christianity, Buber defined existence as an encounter. In analyzing the modes of being, he used the word pairs Ich-Du and Ich-Es to explain this concept. He associated the first with the Jewish Jesus, and the second with the apostle Paul.

In the 1920s, Buber emigrated to Palestine with his parents, and immersed himself in the intellectual life of the Palestinian Jewish community. He was appointed to a professorship in social philosophy at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, a position he held until 1951. He was also elected as the first president of the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Arts. He also established a Teachers Training College for Adult Education in Jerusalem, which he later became the head.

After the Holocaust, מרטין בובר and his family moved to Jerusalem, where they lived in poverty. His paternal grandparents, Adele and Solomon, were members of the landed Jewish aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Solomon, was a "master of the old Haskala" and considered himself a "pole of the Mosaic persuasion. He was respected by his community and helped Martin develop an interest in Zionism.

In 1916, Buber moved to Frankfurt, where he met Franz Rosenzweig. He became friends with his neighbor Franz Rosenzweig, who would later become his partner. In Berlin, he wrote a series of essays about life. While writing I and Thou, he claimed that he wrote about his experiences in war. After the war, he began to write more frequently. The book was not published until 1922, but it is worth the read.

As a young man, Buber was fascinated with the art and culture of the time. He was a student of classical Greek and Italian literature and had an affinity for modern art. He wrote numerous essays on aesthetics, music, and the arts. His fascination with shapes, like shapes and forms, opened doors for his Jewish friends. He became an active member of the Zionist movement. Then, in 1918, he met and married Paula Winkler.

During his lifetime, Buber engaged with various cultures and influenced many writers, from literary works to political movements. He wrote to Catholic and Protestant theologians to the father of modern Zionism, and to journalist Theodor Herzl. Even the president of Israel Chaim Weizmann admired Buber's ideas. However, he was also highly critical of many other cultures and religions. In a broader sense, he opposed the Nazis' religious and political agenda.