The Philosophy of Martin Buber

March 24, 2022 0 Comments

A popular philosopher in the early twentieth century, Martin Buber (1896-1965) was an Austrian-born, Israeli-born philosopher. He is best known for his philosophy of dialogue, which is a form of existentialism that centers on the distinction between the I-Thou and I-It relationships. The distinction between I and Thou is crucial in understanding his work. However, the philosopher's philosophy carries important implications for our modern lives.

In 1905, Martin Buber's parents separated, and the boy lived with his paternal grandparents in Lemberg, Germany. His paternal grandparents, Adele and Solomon Buber, were members of the Jewish aristocracy. His grandfather, Solomon Buber, was the "master of the old Haskala" (the Talmud) and considered himself the pole of the Mosaic persuasion, producing the first modern editions of rabbinic midrash literature. His father's reputation and his inclination to Zionism made Buber an excellent candidate for the post-World War II occupation.

While working as the editor of the central Zionist weekly Die Welt, Buber was also a prominent political figure. His emphasis on culture led to the creation of the Zionist *Democratic Fraction, in opposition to Herzl and the other major Zionist figures. Before the Fifth Zionist Congress of 1901, Buber quit his editorial position in Die Welt. He then founded the Judischer Verlag in Berlin, publishing works of literary quality. As a young man, Buber's interest in Hasidism was primarily aesthetic.

After studying the philosophy of Nietzsche, מרטין בובר went on to marry Paula Winkler, a fellow student. While they were in love, they had two children out of wedlock. After his wife died, she converted to Judaism and married Buber. The two eventually had a son. In the early 1930s, they were divorced and had another daughter, Clara. Their divorced relationship caused the latter to turn to Judaism, wherein she continued to work.

Despite the fact that Buber was Jewish, his family did not support him. He was raised by his grandparents in Lemberg. After his parents separated, he began reading Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche. The books they read led to a greater interest in philosophy. He graduated from university with a degree in German in 1897. This was a very early stage in his life. It was at this time that he began to explore the concepts of God and his Creator.

In his book Eclipse of God (1952), Buber discussed his own ideas about God. He described the phenomenon of God as a continual event that could not be stopped. In other words, he considered the universe to be an ongoing meeting between the divine and human. As a result, he embraced Hasidism, but did not completely reject the concept of a 'divine' person. This was the source of his'religious' education.