Diaz, Elmalia Jane S.

Philosophy Week 3 - 1
12 – Avogadro

Directions: Using a table make a comparison and contrast of I - It and I - Thou Relationship.
Write your answers on a word document, a clean sheet of paper or notebook then take digital
photo(s), and submit it to the Google Classroom attachment for evaluation/correction. Your
submission dates will be digitally recorded.
I - It Relationship I - Thou Relationship
Differences
It is a relation of subject-to-object. It is a relation of subject-to-subject.
Buber calls it “experience”. Buber calls it “encounter”.
We, human beings, gather, analyze, classify,
In this, as active participants, both the 'I' and
and theorize knowledge about the world
the 'other' enter into a genuine relationship.
around us.
It is a true relationship made possible by
It is not called a real relationship because the “Love” because in love, subjects do not
"I" acts more like an observer while the "Tt" perceive each other as objects but subjects.
is more of a receiver of the perception/object Both subjects treat each other with a sense of
of the I. caring, respect, responsibility, and
commitment.
No object of thoughts intervenes between “I”
Relationship is never established as long as
and “Thou.” It is a direct interpersonal
“I” sees, “It”, the subject as an object, unless
relationship which is not mediated by any
the “I” meets another “I” and not an “It”.
system of ideas that intervenes.
We, human beings, do not perceive each other
We, human beings, perceive each other as
as consisting of unique, isolated attributes,
being made up of unique, isolated features,
rather, without judgement, qualification or
and see ourselves as part of a world that
objectification. We relate to each other as
consists of things.
authentic beings.
It is a relationship of detachment and It is a relationship of reciprocity and
separateness. mutuality.
A subject affirms that each subject has a unity
of being, that there are conversations
A subject is evaluated as an object, the subject surrounding each other's whole being. It is an
is no longer a subject, but becomes an object. act of choosing to become the subject of a
subject-to-subject relationship, or of being
chosen. The subject becomes a subject.
Similarities
 They are made by Martin Buber, a Jewish philosopher.
 The 2 relationships given are both from Martin Buber’s 1923 philosophical writings
entitled I and Thou. The book discussed the psychology of individual man in two
distinct relationships, namely, the ‘I-It’ and the ‘I-Thou.’
 Human beings may adopt these two relationships. We address how genuine human life
manifests itself in genuine dialogue with each other, with the world, and even with
God.