It has been widely credited to Aristotle as the originator of the idea that man by nature desires to know. That which man desires to know is not a mere accumulation of data but an insatiable desire towards knowing the ultimate cause of things . It is in doing so that man even comes to a deeper knowledge of the self. This is so because, while constantly inquiring into the dialectics of cause and effects, man engages in a deep contemplation and relation. Through contemplation, man comes to a realization that the possibility of an infinite regress in the chain of causation is not realizable which means that there is the prime cause, who himself is not the effect of any other cause. Man equally finds out that since all effects have the same prime cause, it logically follows that he exists for a relation with everything, first and ultimately with the prime cause and then with every other thing that proceeded from that same prime cause. This is the essence of self-awareness which is a major characteristic of being a person. Suffice it to say that a person through self-awareness, recognizes the ontological inclination towards relation, which enables for a better expression of the totality of a person.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Martin Buber and the I-Thou relation
- Emmanuel Levinas and Otherwise than Being
- Buber and Levinas in relation of agreements and disagreements
- Evaluation and Conclusion
- Bibliography
Objective & Thematic Focus
This work fundamentally explores the concept of self-awareness and personhood through an in-depth analysis of the contributions of Emmanuel Levinas and Martin Buber. The primary objective is to understand how these two prominent philosophers illuminate the essential relational dimension of human existence and how their distinct, yet interfacing, perspectives contribute to a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be a self-aware person.
- Exploring the nature of self-awareness and personhood.
- Analyzing Martin Buber's I-Thou philosophy and its emphasis on reciprocal relation.
- Investigating Emmanuel Levinas's concept of "Otherwise than Being" and ethical responsibility towards the absolute other.
- Comparing and contrasting Buber's and Levinas's views on intersubjective encounters and the alterity of the other.
- Examining the ontological and ethical implications of human relationships.
- Connecting philosophical understandings of personhood with theological insights.
Excerpt from the Book
Martin Buber and the I-Thou relation
Buber sets out in this work to refute the total replacement of the person as a relational animal with the minimalist representation of the self. A person who is lost and without a community of other persons, a person who wallows in perpetual and radical subjectivism, a person who has no understanding that the original character of creation is that of transcendence. This entails that this conception of the person brings about a total blindness to the fact that even from the moment of creation, a basic relational foundation was laid by God the creator for as Buber rightly points out; «In the beginning is the relation». The understanding of this foundation of man's creation gives birth to the basic attitudes and the basic words of the I-It and the I-Thou, which Buber believes to be the two essential modes of expressing the relational dimension of the person, towards human beings, animals, plants as well as inanimate objects. In fact, he states; «Basic words do not state something that might exist outside them; by being spoken they establish a mode of existence... they are spoken with one's being». Suffice it to say that there can never be a moment the person will be the lost in the very act of relation since it is a thing of the being of the person. The person is better
expressed in relation which means that the absence of relation will inhibit the full existence of the person and Buber articulates it this way; «When one says You, the I of the word pair I-You is said... When one says It, the I of the word pair I-It is said». However, Buber makes it explicit that in this expression of the relational dimension of the person through the two basic attitudes and spoken words, not all relations are proper and a relation is proper when it involves the whole being. He thus says; «The basic word I-You can only be spoken with one's whole being... The basic word I-It can never be spoken with one's whole being». It is the I-Thou attitude (Beziehung) that brings about a relation which is proper with other entities in the world whereas the I-It attitude (Erfahrung) is only for the experience of them. A mere experience of an object will mean to explore and perhaps extract knowledge about how they are constituted. For this to take place, it will mean that there will be an imposing and active subject which will be acting on a determined and passive object. This passive object becomes a thing to be felt and which has no capacity of any resistance. It is thus only in the I-Thou relation that there exists a relation of mutuality, where the relation is on the basis of equal partnership and each party is both active and passive at the same time and as Buber puts it; «You say Thou to it and give yourself to it, it says Thou to you and gives itself to you». It is the I-Thou that establishes a genuine mutual dialogue with the other, while the I-It treats the other as a mere He that is swallowed in the midst of other Hes and Shes.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This chapter introduces the central theme of self-awareness and personhood, tracing the human desire to know back to Aristotle and presenting Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas as key figures in understanding human relation as essential to being a person.
Martin Buber and the I-Thou relation: This section elaborates on Buber's critique of radical subjectivism, introducing his fundamental concepts of the I-Thou and I-It relations as essential modes of human interaction, emphasizing that genuine relation involves one's whole being and fosters mutual dialogue.
Emmanuel Levinas and Otherwise than Being: This chapter delves into Levinas's philosophy, particularly his notion of "otherwise than being," which prioritizes ethical responsibility toward the absolute alterity of the other, rejecting the reduction of the individual within socio-historical frameworks and emphasizing unconditional obligation.
Buber and Levinas in relation of agreements and disagreements: This section compares Buber's horizontal and reciprocal I-Thou relationship with Levinas's radical, asymmetrical, and vertical relation of responsibility, highlighting their shared commitment to preserving the other's uniqueness while noting their distinct approaches to mutuality and ethical duty.
Evaluation and Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the insights of Buber and Levinas, underscoring the ontological basis of personhood and the indispensable role of relationships in self-awareness, drawing parallels with theological concepts of the Trinity and Incarnation to emphasize the distinctness and uniqueness of each person.
Keywords
Self-awareness, Personhood, Emmanuel Levinas, Martin Buber, I-Thou relation, I-It relation, Alterity, Ethical responsibility, Ontology, Intersubjectivity, Reciprocity, Transcendence, Dialogue, Human relation, Philosophical anthropology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work fundamentally about?
This work is fundamentally about understanding human self-awareness and the nature of personhood through the lens of philosophical contributions from Emmanuel Levinas and Martin Buber, focusing on the crucial role of relationality in defining what it means to be human.
What are the central thematic areas?
The central thematic areas include self-awareness, personhood, the I-Thou and I-It relations in Martin Buber's philosophy, Emmanuel Levinas's concept of "Otherwise than Being" and ethical responsibility, intersubjectivity, and the agreements and disagreements between these two philosophical perspectives.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The primary objective is to analyze the individual merits and the interfacing aspects of Buber's and Levinas's works to demonstrate how their philosophies contribute to a deeper understanding of self-awareness and the relational essence of a person.
Which methodological approach is used?
The work employs a philosophical analytical approach, critically examining and comparing the concepts and arguments of Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas regarding personhood, relation, ethics, and alterity.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body delves into Martin Buber's I-Thou philosophy, Emmanuel Levinas's "Otherwise than Being," followed by a detailed discussion of the agreements and disagreements between their respective views on intersubjective relations and ethical responsibility.
What keywords characterize the work?
Keywords such as Self-awareness, Personhood, Emmanuel Levinas, Martin Buber, I-Thou relation, Alterity, Ethical responsibility, and Intersubjectivity characterize the core themes of this work.
How do Buber and Levinas differ in their understanding of the "relation"?
Buber emphasizes a horizontal, reciprocal "I-Thou" relation based on equal partnership and mutual dialogue, while Levinas insists on a vertical, asymmetrical relation of responsibility towards the absolute other, where responsibility flows one-way without expectation of reciprocity.
What is the significance of the "eternal You" in Buber's philosophy?
In Buber's philosophy, the "eternal You" represents the ultimate fulfillment and fullness of all relationships, serving as the point where all lines of human relations extend to and intersect, allowing one to become fully conscious of the self and human in the I-Thou relation.
Why does Levinas prioritize "otherwise than being" over traditional ontology?
Levinas prioritizes "otherwise than being" to assert that true transcendence and ethical meaning lie beyond the totality of being, emphasizing the absolute alterity of the other which cannot be encompassed or reduced by ontological frameworks that tend to absorb the individual into a broader whole.
How does the work connect the philosophical concepts of personhood with theological ideas?
The work connects philosophical personhood with theological ideas by drawing parallels to Patristic theology, specifically the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation, to underscore the concepts of distinctness, uniqueness, and relationality inherent in each person.
- Citar trabajo
- Evarist Okpala (Autor), 2025, Self-awareness and the person. The contributions of Emmanuel Levinas and Martin Buber, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1660507
