An Analysis of the Philosophy of

Genuine Dialogue by Martin Buber

and the Concept of Relations of
Interpersonal Encounters in Social
Life
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Living life in relation to God and to others has profoundly influenced anyone who is
interested in interpersonal encounters. But really, how does one relate to God? How
does on relate to other people and to nature? Much of the basis of studying these
encounters as a quality of human interaction, as genuine dialogue, has its foundation
with the philosophy of Genuine Dialogue, which we attribute to Martin Buber.In seeking
to understand the essence of interpersonal encounters, we must first establish two
fundamentally different relations the I object relation and the genuine dialogue or
interhuman relation. An I Object relation is the normal everyday relation of a human
being towards nature and the things surrounding him. Man can also consider his fellows
as an object and that is what he does most of the time, he views the other from a
distance, like a thing, a part of the environment, forged into chains of cause and effect
relationships. Radically different from this is genuine dialogue or interhuman relation.
The human being enters into this encounter with his innermost and whole being, in a
meeting in a real dialogue this is what both of the partners do. There exists a definite
relationship between the physical body and the I of both individuals engaged in genuine
dialogue.The I Object relationship is seemingly non interpersonal. This type of
relationship is characterized by the objectification and control of nature and people. The
"I" in this relationship seeks to acquire and possess as much as it can and perceives
itself as being an individual, who is set over against the subjects of its perception. But
this "I" pays a price for such selfishness and will to dominate because it is isolated and
alienated from the source of life. It is personified in acts like seeming, speechifying and
imposition. It proceeds from how one wishes to appear and is concerned with the
impression, which one s appearance...