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I And Thou Paperback – February 1, 1971

4.5 out of 5 stars 723 ratings

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100 years after its original publication, Martin Buber’s landmark work of philosophy and theology I and Thou remains one of the most important books of Western thought and a seminal work of 20th-century intellectual history.

Considered to be one of the most influential books of Western thought since its original publication in 1923, Martin Buber’s slender volume
I and Thou influenced the way we think about our relationships with one another and with God. Buber unites currents of modern German philosophy with the Judeo-Christian tradition, powerfully updating faith for modern times.

I and Thou is Martin Buber’s pioneering work and the centerpiece of his groundbreaking philosophy. In it, Buber—one of the greatest Jewish minds of the 20th century—lays out a view of the world in which human beings can enter into relationships that enhance their mutual existential dignity (I–Thou relations). These “dialogical” relations contrast with those that tend to prevail in modern society, namely the treatment of others as objects to advance personal and collective interests (I–It relations). Buber demonstrates how I-Thou interhuman meetings reflect and embody the human meeting with God. For Buber, the essence of biblical religion affirms the possibility of a dialogue between man and God.
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

I and Thou, Martin Buber's classic philosophical work, is among the 20th century's foundational documents of religious ethics. "The close association of the relation to God with the relation to one's fellow-men ... is my most essential concern," Buber explains in the Afterword. Before discussing that relationship, in the book's final chapter, Buber explains at length the range and ramifications of the ways people treat one another, and the ways they bear themselves in the natural world. "One should beware altogether of understanding the conversation with God ... as something that occurs merely apart from or above the everyday," Buber explains. "God's address to man penetrates the events in all our lives and all the events in the world around us, everything biographical and everything historical, and turns it into instruction, into demands for you and me." Throughout I and Thou, Buber argues for an ethic that does not use other people (or books, or trees, or God), and does not consider them objects of one's own personal experience. Instead, Buber writes, we must learn to consider everything around us as "You" speaking to "me," and requiring a response. Buber's dense arguments can be rough going at times, but Walter Kaufmann's definitive 1970 translation contains hundreds of helpful footnotes providing Buber's own explanations of the book's most difficult passages. --Michael Joseph Gross

Review

"In this time of social media and value conflicts of every kind, the hundredth anniversary of I and Thou comes at an opportune moment, laying out once again Buber’s heartfelt vision of the dialogical life. In lapidary prose, Buber eloquently exposes the deadening effect of self-referential attitudes on all our relations — with other people, with nature and even with God himself. This book is deeply spiritual and at the same time personal as it lucidly distinguishes the mere experience of “I–It” relations from the profoundly different and dynamic presence of the “I–Thou” encounter. It is utterly timely in its insistent call for openness and genuine meeting, which is precisely
what’s missing in our contemporary lives and in our politics at every level." —
JERRY BROWN, former 34th and 39th governor of California

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Touchstone
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 1971
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0684717255
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0684717258
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.38 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #105,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 723 ratings

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4.5 out of 5 stars
723 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking, with one describing it as a great masterpiece of philosophical/poetic/spiritual inspiration. Moreover, they consider it well worth the time and appreciate its inspired art style. However, the readability receives mixed feedback - while some find it well written, others say it can be quite obtuse and difficult to understand. Additionally, customers find the book not easy to follow.

48 customers mention "Thought provoking"43 positive5 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and insightful, describing it as a beautiful path to spiritual truth and an important philosophical work.

"...As to the text itself, it is timeless and profound." Read more

"This is a great book. Very deep and well worth pondering...." Read more

"Great writing great subject" Read more

"...Deservedly so, I and Thou is a classic in western theological and social thought. A warning, however: the book is not easily accessible...." Read more

38 customers mention "Value for reading"34 positive4 negative

Customers find the book well worth their time, describing it as brilliant and a tremendous read.

"...as bonded to "it" and not to "thou." It's worth reading, but probably for over 25-year olds!" Read more

"good book and thank you!" Read more

"This is a great book. Very deep and well worth pondering...." Read more

"...It's a decent read and I suspect many will like it" Read more

8 customers mention "Art style"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the art style of the book, describing it as an inspired work of art and very sublime.

"...gives English-speaking readers the opportunity to follow a beautiful and psychologically-sound path to spiritual truth...." Read more

"...Buber, this book is written in his usual highly intellectual and abstract style...." Read more

"...Short and yet absolutely beautiful. I also really appreciate the work of the editor of the 100th anniversary edition...." Read more

"...intellectual approach to fully appreciate it, because it is a work of art and emotion as much as a work of intellect." Read more

33 customers mention "Readability"19 positive14 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it well written and praising it as the best translation into English, while others find it challenging and difficult to understand.

"...] My opinion is that this is by far the best translation into English, the job was given to Kauffmann by Martin Buber's son." Read more

"...I.e., the writing can be quite obtuse and requires a willingness to read and re-read portions as one works through it..." Read more

"...of Buber's I and Thou except to say that there isn't a deeper, more poetic, more trenchant -profound- analysis / treatment of human relationship and..." Read more

"...My general complaint is that the writing is not necessarily systematic and it does not clearly define its terms very well...." Read more

8 customers mention "Difficulty to follow"0 positive8 negative

Customers find the book difficult to follow.

"...A warning, however: the book is not easily accessible...." Read more

"...Buber is not easy, and the thread of his thinking is sometime difficult to follow, but translator Ronald Gregor Smith adds unnecessary difficulty...." Read more

"...it is complicated to follow and 2) it is translated from German...." Read more

"A fascinating book, but dense and difficult to grapple with in many ways. I shall probably have to read it again many times." Read more

It deserves 10 stars!
5 out of 5 stars
It deserves 10 stars!
Martin Buber's "I and Thou" has long been acclaimed as a classic. Many prominent writers have acknowledged its influence on their work; students of intellectual history consider it a landmark; and the generation born since World War II considers Buber as one of its prophets. "The publication of Martin Buber's 'I and Thou' a quarter of a century ago was a great event in the religious life of the West." -- Reinhold Niebuhr
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2013
    I am reviewing Kaufman's translation of Buber's I and Thou (or, as the translator has it, I and You). Deservedly so, I and Thou is a classic in western theological and social thought. A warning, however: the book is not easily accessible. I.e., the writing can be quite obtuse and requires a willingness to read and re-read portions as one works through it (a consequence of its German origins and the writing style of the author). Kaufman at one point footnotes a very long sentence with the observation that (paraphrase)"this is one of the most baffling sentences in the book." Buber himself in the postscript notes that he was constantly asked to explain and clarify various points in the original text, thus choosing to update the book in his postscript (which is minimally better). Nevertheless, one is encouraged to take the plunge and enter into a relationship (his key theme in I/Thou relations)with the author by forging ahead even if one does not always understand some things at the moment; it will become more clear as one reads on. Buber distinguishes between I-It and I-Thou relations. I-It is normal and to be expected; it is a natural component of human reality. However, the fundamental problem of I-It relations, especially between human beings,is that the other is reduced to just another object in a world of objects and treated as a means to one's ends. I-It is a symbol of the "sickness of our age." I-Thou/I-You, however, results from relationships/associations whereby the "other" becomes essential to the development of and realization of the self (I). I-It functions within the terms of monologue; the attempt by the self to manipulate and control the other. I-Thou is founded upon dialogue: the sharing of self with another self with the goal of maximizing the humanity of those party to the conversation. I-Thou relations are reciprocal and spirit (both human and otherworldly) comes to exist and mediates the "between" (rather than located only in the I, described as "ghostly solitude"). Thus, the book is a contribution to examining and critiquing what became known in the 20th century as mass society theory and has links to that genre in numerous ways (Marcuse, One Dimensional Man et al). Implicit throughout is his deep spirituality/religiosity; in Section 3 he is explicit about this as he explores I-Thou in terms of I-and-the-Eternal Thou" (God; every You/Thou is a glimpse of the Eternal You/Thou. Non-religious readers (or potential readers) should not avoid the book for this reason; indeed, this portion of the discussion helps to clarify the "regular" I-Thou relations. I and Thou was published the same year as Freud's Ego and the Id. Buber's take is an interesting subtle critique of Freud's formulation: according to Buber, the ego is not equivalent to the I; egos are created by setting one ego apart from other egos. The I, on the other hand,is rooted in the person and his/her reciprocal relations with other persons (e.g., Jacques Maritain's thesis). Ich und Id is about controlling and suppressing; Ich und Du is about liberation.
    28 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2011
    "I and Thou" by Martin Buber is one of the most important books ever written.
    First published in 1923, in my opinion, it is certainly the most important book of the 20th century. Over the course of decades, it affected religious and philosophical thinking throughout the Western world, and even in some Asian places.
    Buber shows how the relationships between people, between people and the world and between people and God are pivotal in how we see the world.
    "To man the world is twofold, in accordance with his twofold attitude ...in accord with the twofold nature of the primary words he speaks ...
    "The one primary word is the combination I-Thou.
    "The other primary word is the combination I-It ...," says Buber at the beginning of this work.
    This is much more complex than can be explained here, which is why you need to read this book of only 137 pages, including the postscript.
    In short, when we approach someone with the attitude of I-It, we see him or her as an object. This is the attitude we often take at work, and the attitude which allows us to exploit the world.
    When we approach someone with the attitude of I-Thou, we see him or her as the unique and existentially real person he or she really is at heart. We see that person's soul and can never treat him or her as an object in any way.
    This attitude is also the way we address the world when it seems magical, such as in moments when nature calls to us and we see it as part of ourselves and ourselves as a part of it.
    I-Thou is how we address God when our hearts and souls open to let the Infinite in, when the spirit of God touches us.
    In other words, I-Thou is when we are in true relation with anything, when the boundaries we set up between ourselves and the world come down.
    Unfortunately, since we live in a material world, there are times when we must address the world as I-It, which is where troubles begin.
    Buber was an Austrian-born Jewish philosopher who was a part of the Zionist movement as the editor of its central newspaper, but later became an advocate of a joint Palestinian-Jewish homeland to share what is Israel today.
    Since Buber wrote "I and Thou" in idiosyncratic German, with a highly poetic and metaphorical structure, there are differences in how some think it should be translated. Personally, I prefer the translation Buber worked on with Ronald Gregor Smith, because it retains its poetic and reverent tone, but the most available translation is a later translation by Walter Kaufmann. Readers may have to find used copies to find the Smith translation, as I did, get the Kindle edition or try the interlibrary loan system.
    Even if you've read this gem, it bears reading again. Different chapters of our lives can give it added meaning, which is why I read it every few years.
    Don't miss this one.
    48 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • ciaranhurley@hotmail.com
    5.0 out of 5 stars Buber explains why empathy is so fundamentally important to human relations
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2017
    I can't comment on the translation. In a radical departure from the obscurantism of other existential philosophers, Buber states his ideas simply and clearly. For people embarking on a career in care-work, clinical psychology or therapy, I would recommend this text to inform some of the basic reasons why empathy is such an important characteristic to develop and grow.
  • Len Ramsay
    5.0 out of 5 stars and it's one of my favourite and foundational books
    Reviewed in Canada on December 10, 2016
    Some find this a difficult read - it's poetry, really, and it's one of my favourite and foundational books.
  • Amazon カスタマー
    5.0 out of 5 stars yes
    Reviewed in Japan on May 28, 2025
    book
  • Drake Mabry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unique voyage
    Reviewed in France on March 21, 2020
    Buber writes about our habit of treating people like objects and explains why we can change this to treating them as living beings. Way ahead of his time. An original writing style, almost stream of consciousness at times. A must read.
  • aforji njunjima mgbere
    4.0 out of 5 stars regalo
    Reviewed in Spain on September 22, 2014
    era para mi primo,me dice que ha gustado mucho el libro,porque era lo que buscaba el,un saludos a todo. espero
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