I_And_Thou

First Part

The world appears twofold to the human following his twofold attitude.

The attitude of the human is twofold following the twofold of the basic words that he can speak.

The basic words are not single words but pairs of words.

The one basic word is the pair of words I-Thou.

The other basic word is the pair of words I-It; whereby without change of the basic word, It may also be replaced by one of the words He and She.

Thus the human I is also twofold.

Because the I of the basic word I-Thou is different from the I of the basic word I-It.

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Basic words are spoken with the whole being.

When Thou is spoken, the I of the basic word I-Thou is also spoken.

When It is spoken, the I of the basic word I-It is also spoken.

The basic word I-Thou can be spoken only with the whole being

The basic word I-It can never be expressed with the whole being.

There is no I in itself, there is only the I of the basic word I-Thou and the I of the basic word I-It.

When the human speaks I, he means either one of the two.

The I that he means, that I is present when he says I.

Also when he says Thou or It, is the I of the one or the I of the other basic word present.

To be I and to say I are one. To say I and to speak one of the basic words are one.

He who speaks a basic word, steps into the word and stands within.

*

He who speaks Thou, has no It for an object. Because where It is, there is other It, all It borders at other It, It exists only because it borders other It. But where Thou is spoken, there is no It. Thou does not border.

He who speaks Thou, has no It, has nothing. But he stands in the relationship.

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The world as experience belongs to the basic word I-It. The basic word I-Thou creates the world of the relationship.

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- So what does one experience from Thou?

- Nothing really. Because one does not experience it.

- So what does one know about Thou?

- Only everything. Because one does not know anything in particular of it.

*

Between I and Thou stands no purpose, no greed and no anticipation; and the longing itself changes since it drops down from the dream into the appearance. All means is obstacle. Only where all means disintegrated, the meeting happens.

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Martin Buber