BUBERS PHILOSOPHY IS CENTERED ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

THE SELF AND OTHERS WHICH HE RADICALLY CONTRASTED WITH

THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE SELF WITH OBJECTS.

THOU IS RELATIONSHIP OF MAN WITH HIS FELLOW HUMAN
BEINGS. MAN IS A PERSON, A SUBJECT WHO HAS RIGHTS,
DIGNITY AND HONOR. MAN IS THEREFORE A THOU AND NOT AN IT.
ACCORDING TO BUBER THE CENTRAL FEATURES OF OUR ETHICAL,
SOCIAL, AND RELIGIOUS LIFE BECOME UNINTELLIGIBLE IF WE
UNDERSTAND HUMAN RELATIONS AND RELATIONS TO GOD IN TERMS
OF OUR RELATIONS TO OBJECTS.
FOR BUBER WE RESPOND TO THE PRESENCE AND INDIVIDUALITY
OF OTHERS IN FORMING JOINT HUMAN PROJECTS RATHER THAN
SEEING OTHERS AS OBJECTS TO MANIPULATE.
ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL WAY OF RELATING TO OTHERS IS IN
THE COMMON MODE OF I-IT, IN WHICH PEOPLE AND THINGS ARE
EXPERIENCED AS OBJECTS, OR, IN KANTIAN TERMS, AS MEANS
TO AN END.
A PERSON AS WELL AS AN INANIMATE THING CAN BE VIEWED AS
A THING, OR, IN BUBERS TERMINOLOGY AN IT. IT CAN BE BOTH
NON-HUMAN OBJECTS AND OTHER PERSONS, COVERING
EVERYTHING WITH WHICH THE I COMES INTO CONTACT AND
USES FOR ITS OWN UTILITY.
I-IT IS A ONE-SIDED RELATION, WITHIN WHICH THE I
CONCENTRATES UPON ITS OWN PURPOSES AND CONCERNS AND
KEEPS THE IT AT A DISTANCE, WHERE IT IS MEASURED AND
STUDIED. IN THIS RELATEDNESS, PERSONAL COMMITMENT DOES
NOT EXIST. IN MANY RELATIONSHIPS PEOPLE CONSIDER EACH
OTHER AS MERE OBJECTS.
THE HUMAN BEING IS ACTIVE, WHEREAS THE PENCIL IS PASSIVE. THIS
DISTINCTION IS OFTEN REFERRED TO IN MORE PHILOSOPHICAL
LANGUAGE AS A SUBJECTOBJECT RELATION, IN WHICH AN ACTIVE
SUBJECT (IN THIS CASE, THE HUMAN BEING) RELATES TO AN INACTIVE
OBJECT (IN THIS CASE, THE PENCIL).
THE OTHER IS NOT CONSIDERED BY THE I AS AN OBJECT TO BE
USED BUT AS A PERSON WHO HAS HIS OWN UNIQUENESS AND
NEEDS. HENCE, THE I RESPECTS THE THOU BECAUSE THE I
TREATS THE THOU NOT AS MEANS TO AN END BUT AS HAVING
VALUE IN HIMSELF.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF I-THOU IS SEEN BY BUBER AS BEING IN
DANGER WITH THE ADVENT OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY.
IN OUR AGE THE I-IT RELATION, GIGANTICALLY SWOLLEN, HAS USURPED,
PRACTICALLY UNCONTESTED, THE MASTERY AND THE RULE. THE I OF THIS
RELATION, AN IT THAT POSSESS ALL, MAKES ALL, SUCCEEDS WITH ALL,
THIS I THAT IS UNABLE TO MEET A BEING ESSENTIALLY, IS THE LORD OF
THE HOUR. THE SELFHOOD THAT HAS BECOME OMNIPOTENT, WITH ALL THE
IT AROUND IT, CAN NATURALLY ACKNOWLEDGE NEITHER GOD NOR ANY
GENUINE ABSOLUTE WHICH MANIFESTS ITSELF TO MEN AS OF NON-HUMAN
ORIGIN. IT STEPS IN BETWEEN AND SHUTS OFF FROM US THE LIGHT OF
HEAVEN. (ECLIPSE OF GOD)
ACCORDING TO BUBER WITH THE SPECTACULAR ADVANCES OF SCIENCE
AND THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY ON
AN ALMOST UNIVERSAL SCALE, THERE IS GROWING AN ALARMING
TENDENCY TO CONSIDER MAN LESS AND LESS A HUMAN BEING OR A
GENUINE THOU. BUBER WAS CONCERNED OF THE GROWTH OF THE IT-
WORLD OVER TIME, MOST ESPECIALLY WITH THE RISE OF MODERN
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
HERBERT MARCUSE WRITES, THE REPRESSIVE CONDITIONS OF MODERN
INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY, DESTROYS THE FREEDOM OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND
REDUCED PEOPLE TO THE STATUS OF TOOLS.

MAN IS NO LONGER A PERSON BUT A COMMODITY TO BE USED AND
EXPLOITED. MAN IS SEEN NOT ACCORDING TO HIS DIGNITY AND RIGHTS
BUT ACCORDING TO HIS FUNCTION, THIS DEPERSONALIZES AND
DEHUMANIZES HIM.
WHEN MAN CEASES TO REGARD HIS FELLOW MAN AS A GENUINE
THOU, WHEN HE CALCULATIVELY VIEW HIM IN A HIGHLY IMPERSONAL
MANNER AS AN IT, AN OBJECT TO BE USED AND MANIPULATED, THEN
WE ARE FACED WITH A TECHNOMANIA OR TECHNOLATRY.
BUBER SPEAKS OF AN INCREASING SENSE OF ALIENATION
WHICH FOLLOWS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IT- WORLD. ST
FRANCIS ASSISI DETECTED IT IN THE RISE OF SCHOLASTICISM;
BUBER AND MARCEL FIND IT ESPECIALLY RAMPANT IN THE
MODERN DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND
SHARE ASSISI'S CONCERN.
HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU SPENT PLAYING COMPUTER GAMES AND
BEING IN THE INTERNET?
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPENT WITH YOUR BROTHERS, SISTERS
AND FAMILY MEMBERS TALKING AND ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIP
WITH THEM?
MARCEL AND BUBER WERE ESPECIALLY CONCERNED WITH THE
FRIGHTENING EROSION OF HUMAN VALUES, HUMAN PERSONALITY
AND HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WHICH THEY ATTRIBUTE TO THE
DISPROPORTIONATE INFLUENCE OF TWENTIETH CENTURY
TECHNOLOGY.
THE DEMANDS OF CONSUMERISM DEMANDS MAN TO WORK MORE AND
MAN HAS BEEN CONTINUALLY EXPLOITED FOR THE SAKE OF SO CALLED
PROGRESS. FOR THE SAKE OF THE SO CALLED PROGRESS HUMAN
RELATIONSHIP IS BEING AFFECTED, MORE TIME FOR WORK AND NO MORE
TIME FOR RELATIONSHIP.
THE WORST EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGICAL DOMINATION IS WHEN PEOPLE
FIND THEMSELVES AND ASSERT TOO MUCH IMPORTANCE ON THE
TECHNOLOGY ITSELF. ACCORDING TO MARCUSE SOME PEOPLE RECOGNIZE
THEMSELVES IN THEIR COMMODITIES; THEY EVEN FIND THEIR SOUL IN
THEIR AUTOMOBILES, HI-FI SET, SPLIT LEVEL HOME, KITCHEN EQUIPMENT.
THE AVERAGE MAN HARDLY CARES FOR ANY LIVING BEING WITH
THE INTENSITY AND PERSISTENCE HE SHOWS FOR HIS
AUTOMOBILE. THE MACHINE THAT IS ADORED IS NO LONGER DEAD
MATTER BUT BECOMES SOMETHING LIKE A HUMAN BEING.
MARTIN BUBER PROJECTED THAT IN THE MODERN AGE, WHERE TECHNOLOGY
AND MODERNIZATION RAPIDLY INCREASES AND DEVELOPS IT WOULD
RESULT TO THE SO CALLED DEPERSONALIZATION, DEHUMANIZATION AND
THINGIFICATION OF MAN.
AFTER MANS DIGNITY AND INITIATIVE HAVE BEEN DESPOILED, AFTER HE
HAS BEEN SAPPED OF ALL HIS STRENGTH AND ENERGY, MAN IS TOSSED UP
THE SCRAP HEAP OF HUMAN DISCARDS. THE ONCE PROUD AND DIGNIFIED
CREATIVE HUMAN BEING IS NOW CAST ASIDE-WORN OUT, DISCONSOLATE
AND BROKEN. ONCE MORE MAN HAS BEEN VICTIMIZED BY MODERN
PROGRESS.
BUBER ADAMANTLY MAINTAINS THAT WHEN MAN IS TREATED BY
TECHNOLOGY IN A HIGHLY IMPERSONAL AND UNDIGNIFIED MANNER BY
MODERN TECHNOLOGY. HE CANNOT BUT TREAT HIS FELLOW MAN IN THE
SAME SHAMEFUL WAY. THE MORE HE IS TREATED AS A THING BY MODERN
CIVILIZATION, THE MORE HE CONSIDERS HIS FELLOW MAN AS A THING TO
BE USED AND EXPLOITED AT WILL.
ACCORDING TO BUBER, THE BESTIAL, DEMONICAL, SLAUGHTER OF
MILLIONS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE BY THE NAZIS AT BUCHENWALD, DACHAU
AND AUSCHWITZ, WAS POSSIBLE ONLY BECAUSE LONG BEFORE, MAN HAD
ALREADY CONVINCED THEMSELVES THAT THE WORLD OF I-IT IS THE ONLY
LEGITIMATE ONE. MAN, FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS WAS MADE ONLY FOR USE.
HE WAS ONLY A THING, AN INSTRUMENT TO SERVE THE PHYSICALLY
STRONGER OVERLORD.