Martin Buber focuses on human existence and how it is grounded in relationships. In his work I and Thou, he provides us with fundamental orientations which are irrelation and relation. In his work, Buber identified ways through which people can engage with each other. He believed that people can only grow if they understand how to live in relation to others and by recognizing the possibilities of space between them. The only way people can have good relations with each other is through dialogue. This paper will focus on three key lines in Buber writing and use them to explain his understanding concerning the relation of religion, morality, and dialogue.
“ What has to be given up is not the I but that false drive for self-affirmation, which impels man to flee from the unreliable, unsolid, unlasting, unpredictable, dangerous world of relation into the having of things”.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
In the above statement, Buber argues against critics associated with religion which provide that experiences of religion is a crutch for people who are considered weak. According to Buber, when people open themselves up to encounter, they will be considered as brave. People are required to abandon the experience realm because it is the realm that is easy to predict, master and understand. By entering this realm one will be considered to have entered an unpredictable and unknown world that they cannot manipulate. So as to achieve this, people are expected to give up their inner drive for their greed for power, self-protection, and possession. He was against people giving up their entire selves because a relationship does not exist if there is no self-there that will do the rating.
For Buber, religion is essentially tied to human relations. Human relations helps people to find their way to their relationship with God. People satisfy their need for encounter through encountering You’s, that is, the human beings. The encounters prepare the people for a divine encounter, as the relationship helps people understand what it is like to be in a relationship that is larger than themselves (Buber, 2003).
“ Nothing can doom man but the belief in doom, for this prevents the movement of return”.
In his statement, Buber provides a summary of the ills of people. People are feeling that they are separated from their world, therefore their life is meaningless, and they are limited by the nature laws. This is because people do not recognize the other mode associated with engaging the world, which is the encounter mode. People believe that the It-world, that is, the world of casual laws concerned with using and being used is everything that exists. This belief is what makes people feel alienated and it they could open themselves up to encounter, then they would meet salvation.
“ The concept of dialogue is an essential building block of the society”.
The reality of space between individuals is the main focus of Buber. Self-perfection according to Buber is possible if the relationship with others is good. Often relationships come into existence as a result of dialogue. In addition, self-knowledge is achievable if the relationship between creation and man is seen as a dialogical relationship. Dialogue is not only the exchange of messages between people but it involves every kind of relationship which is can be to self, to others or other created being.
In relation to religion and morality, Buber claimed that immorality in the society can be eliminated through human interactions and relationships. Morality is achieved when individuals interact with each other, reveal their fears, their needs including their hopes. Relationships help individuals define and also realize their potential as human beings. Dialogue is key in building relationships and people who engage in dialogue are considered to participate in a narrow ridge communication (Buber, 2003). A narrow ridge according to Buber is a guide for the development of a community that encourages people to look for alternatives to extreme positions of communication. Relationships with one another also help people build a good relationship with God.
The view of Immanuel Kant concerning religion and morality is that he believed that morality can be achieved through treating other people as ends and not means in order to make moral judgments. When people are relating to each other, they are supposed to understand the duties associated with treating other people with respect. The duties include, never lie, never commit suicide, and always keep promises. The view of morality by Kant is primarily fueled by a motive to do right. It is not driven by the proposed actions and their consequences. Kant does not believe in the existence of God.
Buber disagrees with Kant in terms of religion and morality. He agrees with the moral and rational motives of individuals suggested by Kant in making moral decisions, but he does not agree with his notion of the ideal society instead of an actual society. Kant explains how the world is supposed to look instead of how in look in practice. Buber explains that people should relate with each other in terms of their hopes and needs in order to make the consequences for humankind beautiful and great (Buber, 2003) .
Reference
Buber, M. (2003). Between Man and Man. London: Routledge.
