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The Problem of Unity in the Thought of Martin Buber
Wolfson, Elliot R.
Journal of the History of Philosophy, Volume 27, Number 3, July
1989, pp. 423-444 (Article)
Published by The Johns Hopkins University Press
For additional information about this article
Access Provided by University of California @ Berkeley at 11/25/10 11:19PM GMT
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hph/summary/v027/27.3wolfson.html
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T he Problem o f Unity in theT ho ug ht of Martin Buber
E L L I O T W O L F S O N
MAURICE FRIEDMAN HAS SUGGESTED THAT M ar ti n B ub er 's th o u g h t "c an be st beu n d e r s t o o d a s a g r a d u a l m o v e m e n t f r o m a n e a r ly p e r io d o f m y s ti c is mt h r o u g h a m i d d l e p e r i o d o f e x i s te n t i al i sm t o a fi n a l p e r i o d o f d e v e l o p i n gd i al og i ca l p h i lo s o p h y . " ' T h e c o m m o n d e n o m i n a t o r o f t h es e s ta g es s e em s t om e t o be B u b e r ' s u n y i e l d i n g c o n c e r n w i t h t h e p r o b l e m o f u n i t y in m u l t ip l ic i ty .In Daniel: Dialogues on Realizat ion (1913) B ube r w ro te : "Al l wi sdo m of the ageshas the dua l i t y o f t he w or ld a s i t sub jec t; i t s po in t o f de pa r tu re is t o know i t, it sg o a l is to o v e r c o m e it. H o w e v e r i t n a m e s t h e t w o fo r c e s t h a t it m a k e s k n o w n - -sp i r i t a n d m a t t e r , f o r m a n d m a t e r i a l , b e i n g a n d b e c o m i n g , r e a so n a n d w i l l ,p o s it iv e a n d n e g a t i v e e l e m e n t , o r w i t h a n y o f th e o t h e r p a ir s o f n a m e s - - i t h a si n m i n d t h e o v e r c o m i n g o f t h e i r t e n s i o n , t h e u n i f i c a ti o n o f t h e i r d u a l it y . '2 I t i sc l e ar t h a t f r o m e a r l y o n B u b e r w a s p r e o c c u p i e d w i t h th e p o s s ib i li ty o f o v e r -com ing th i s s t a te o f cond i t i ona l i t y . "Un i ty ," he w ro te i n 1914 , " is no t a p rop -e r t y o f t h e w o r l d b u t i ts t ask . T o f o r m u n i t y o u t o f t h e w o r l d i s o u r n e v e r -e n d i n g w o r k . " 3
T h i s i n t e r e s t a b i d e d t h r o u g h o u t B u b e r ' s l i te r a ry c ar e e r, f r o m t h e n a s c e n tm y s t i ca l t e a c h i n g o f u n i t y (Einheitslehre) t o t h e m o r e d e v e l o p e d p h i l o s o p h y o frea l i za t ion (Verwirk l ichung) , t o , fi n a ll y , t h e m a t u r e p h i l o so p h y o f d i a l o g u e(Zwiesprache). T h e m a n n e r t h r o u g h w h i c h t h e u n i ty w as to b e e s ta b li sh e d , h o w -e v e r, v a r i e d w i t h e a c h s t a g e o f h i s t h o u g h t . I n h i s m y s ti c al s t ag e B u b e r m a i n -m i n e d t h a t u n i t y w a s f o u n d i n t h e su b je c ti v e e x p e r i e n c e o f e cs t asy w h e r e b y t h ei n d i v i d u a l t r a n sc e n d s t h e c o n d i t i o n a l w o r l d o f spa c e a n d t im e . I n h i s e x i s te n t ia l
Maurice Friedman, Martin Buber: The Life of Dialogue (Chicago: Th e Universityof ChicagoPress, 1955), 27-" Daniel: Dialogues on Realization, trans. M. Friedman (New York: Ho lt, Rinehart, and Win-ston, 1964), 136.s "With a Monist," in Pointing the Way, trans, and ed. M. Friedman (New York: SchockenBooks, 1957), 3o.
[423]
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U N I T Y I N B U B E R 425s ta s/s , i .e . a s t e p p i n g - o u t , a d i s - p l a c e m e n t . T o s t e p o u t , o r t o b e d i s p l a c e d , i s t ob e t r a n s f e r r e d f r o m o n e p l a c e to a n o t h e r . F r o m w h e r e a n d t o w h e r e is t h ee c s ta t ic t r a n s f e r r e d ? T h e e c s ta ti c , a c c o r d i n g t o B u b e r , is t r a n s f e r r e d f r o m t h er e a lm o f " d i f f e re n t i a t e d e x p e r i e n c e " t o t h e r e al m o f " u n d i f f e r e n t i a te d e x p e r i -e n c e. "7 T h e e x p e r i e n c e o f e c s ta s y , t h e r e f o r e , is w h a t B u b e r e l s e w h e r e r e f e r st o a s " th e d e t a c h e d f e e l i n g o f u n i t y o f b e i n g , e l e v a t e d a b o v e l if e. '8 B u t h o w i sth is " d e t a c h e d f e e li n g o f u n i ty o f b e in g " r e a li z ed ? H e r e B u b e r t u r n s t o th es e lf : " W h a t i s e x p e r i e n c e d i n e c s t a s y . . , is t h e u n i t y o f t h e I . B u t in o r d e r t o b ee x p e r i e n c e d a s u n i t y t h e I m u s t h a v e b e c o m e a u n i t y . " 9
B u t w h e r e is t h e I t h a t h a s b e c o m e a n d t h u s e x p e r i e n c e s u n i ty t o b e f o u n d ?E c h o i n g H u m e ' s d e s c r i p t io n o f t h e e v e r y d a y se lf , t h e I o f p e r c e p t i o n (Erkenn t -n /s ) a s " n o t h i n g b u t a h e a p o r c o l le c t io n o f d i f f e r e n t p e r c e p t i o n s , ''1 ~ B u b e rn o t e s t h a t o n e g i v es " t h e b u n d l e a s u b j e c t a n d s a ys T t o it, b u t t h e s u b j e c t is n o ta u n i t y t h a t i s e x p e r i e n c e d . ''1 1 T h e e c s ta t ic , h o w e v e r , o v e r c o m e s t h i s f r a g -m e n t e d s e l f a n d is " e m b r a c e d b y th e p r im a l s e lf " (von dem Urse lbs t umschlun-gen). 1" T h i s p r i m a l s e l f " is n o l o n g e r a b u n d l e , i t is a fi re ." l~ T h e f i e r y u n i t ye x p e r i e n c e d a s t h e u n i t y o f t h e p r i m a l s e l f is, m o r e o v e r , t h e u n i t y o f t h e I a n dt h e w o r l d . T h e e c s ta t ic , w r i t e s B u b e r , " e x p e r i e n c e s t h e u n i t y o f t h e I [erlebt dieEinhei t des Ich] , a n d i n th i s u n i t y th e u n i t y o f I a n d w o rl d." 14 B u b e r t h u sd e s c r i b e s a " g e n u i n e ' ec s ta ti c ' e x p e r i e n c e " : " . . . t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f a n e x c l u s iv ea n d a l l -a b s o r b i n g u n i t y o f h is o w n s e lf . T h i s s e l f is th e n s o u n i q u e l y m a n i f e s t,a n d i t a p p e a r s t h e n s o u n i q u e l y e x i s t e n t, t h a t t h e i n d i v i d u a l lo s e s t h e k n o w l -e d g e , ' T h i s i s m y s el f, d i s t i n g u i s h e d a n d s e p a r a t e f r o m e v e r y o t h e r s e lf '. H el os es th e s u r e k n o w l e d g e o f t h e pr inc ip ium ind i v idua t ion i s, a n d u n d e r s t a n d s t h i sp r e c io u s e x p e r i e n c e o f h is u n i t y as t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f th e unity."15
T o u n d e r s t a n d t h e t r a n s f e r e n c e o f t h e ec s ta ti c f r o m t h e r e a lm o f d if f e re n t i -a t e d e x p e r i e n c e t o t h a t o f t h e u n d i f f e r e n t i a t e d , o n e m u s t k e e p i n m i n dB u b e r ' s d i s t in c t io n b e t w e e n t w o t y p e s o f e x p e r ie n c e : E r f a h r u n g a n d Erlebnis. 16T h e f o r m e r i s t h a t m o d e o f e x p e r i e n c i n g b y w h i c h w e in d i v i d u a te t h e w o r l d
7 EC, 3 - 4 .s " F o r e w o r d , " Pointing the Way, ix .9 EC, 5;E KI 5.~ o D a v i d H u m e , A Treatise of Human Nature, e d . L . A . S e l b y - B i g g e ( O x f o r d : O x f o r d U n i v e r -
s i t y Pre ss , 1978) , ~o 7 ." EC, 1.'* EC, 3 ; EK, a 3 .,s EC, 5.~4 EC, 2; EK, 12., 5 " F o r e w o r d , " Pointing the Way, i x ( m y e m p h a s i s ) .,6 C f . R i v k a H o r w i t z , Buber's Way to I and Thou: An Historical Analysis and the First Publication ofMartin Buber's Lectures "Religion als Gegenwart" ( H e i d e l b e r g : V e r l a g L a m b e r t S c h n e i d e r , 1 9 7 8 ) ,
8 5 - 8 6 .
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4~6 J O U R N A L O F T H E H I S T O R Y O F P H I L O S O P H Y 2 7 : 3 J U L Y 1989i n t o d i s ti n c t o b j e c ts . I t is a m o d e o f e x p e r i e n c e a s s o c i at e d p a r t ic u l a r ly w i t hc o g n i t i o n , i. e. , k n o w l e d g e m a r k e d b y d u a l i ty a n d m u l t ip l ic i ty . T h e l a tt e r, o nt h e o t h e r h a n d , is a l i v e d - e x p e r i e n c e o f u n i t y, a u n i t y w h i c h , as w e h a v e s e e n ,is f ir s t e x p e r i e n c e d a s t h e u n i t y o f t h e I a n d t h e n a s t h e u n i t y o f th e I a n d t h ew o r l d . I t is i n s o f a r a s t h e e c s t a t ic e x p e r i e n c e s t h is u n i t y t h a t w e m a y s a y t h a t h eh a s b e e n t r a n s f e r r e d f r o m o n e m o d e o f e x p e r ie n c e t o a n o t h e r. " O n e w h ok n o w s o n l y t h e d i f f e r e n t ia t e d e x p e r i e n c e - - t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f m e a n i n g , o ft h o u g h t , o f w ill, c o n n e c t e d w i t h o n e a n o t h e r , y e t s till s e p a r a t e i n t h is s e p a r a -t io n , a n d c o n s c i o u s - ~ o m e s t o k n o w a n u n d i f f e r e n t i a t e d e x p e r i e n c e : th e e x p e -r i e n c e o f t h e I."~ 7
T h r o u g h t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f e c st as y, t h e r e f o r e , o n e o v e r c o m e s t h e b if u r ca -t i o n o f r e a l i t y i n t o s u b j e c t i v e a n d o b j e c t i v e . F o r t h e e c s t a t i c " t h e r e i s a s y e tn o t h i n g t h a t p o i n t s e i t h e r i n w a r d o r o u t w a r d . " T h e s e lf w h o " e x p e r i e n c e s t h eo n e n e s s o f I a n d w o r l d k n o w s n o t h i n g o f I a n d w o r l d . ''a I n d e e d , t h e e c s ta t ic" n o l o n g e r k n o w s a n y t h i n g o v e r a g ai n st h i m . . , n o t h i n g e l se e x is ts [o t he r ]t h a n h i s s e l f , w h i c h h e e x p e r i e n c e s a s the s e lf ." ~ 9 T h e r e is h e r e a c u r i o u si d e n t if i c at i o n b y w h i c h a l l t h i n g s a r e s u b s u m e d i n to t h e s e lf . T h e u n i t y e x p e r i -e n c e d i n e c s ta s y is, a s B u b e r u n d e r s t a n d s it, f u n d a m e n t a l l y t h e u n i t y o f t h e( p r i m a l ) s e l f w i t h i ts e lf : a l l t h i n g s b e c o m e o n e i n t h e o n e n e s s o f s e lf . 2~ F o r t h eecs t a t i c " un i ty i s no t r e l a t i ve , no t l imi t ed by the o the r ; i t i s l imi t l e ss , fo r i t is t heu n i t y o f I a n d w o r l d . O n e ' s u n i t y is s o l it u d e , a b s o l u t e s o l it u d e : t h e s o l i t u d e o ftha t wh ich i s w i th ou t l imi t s . ''2x Th i s un i ty (Einheit) , w h i c h i s a t t h e s a m e t i m es o l i tu d e o r a l o n e n e s s (Einsamkeit), c a n n o t b e e x p r e s s e d i n w o r d s f o r " la n g u a g eis a f u n c t i o n o f c o m m u n i t y [Gemeinschafl]." I n s o f a r a s i n t h e u n i t y o f t h ee c s ta t ic e x p e r i e n c e t h e m y s t ic c o n t a i n s a ll o t h e r s i n t h e u n i t y o f h im s e l f , t h e r ea r e n o l o n g e r , s tr ic t ly s p e a k i n g , a n y " o t h e r s " o u t s i d e h i m . T h e m y s t ic t h e r e -f o r e "n o l o n g e r h a s a ny c o m m u n i o n [Gemeinsamkeit]" w i t h h is f e ll o w m e n n o r" a n y t h i n g i n c o m m o n w i t h th e m . " H i s e x p e r i e n c e i s t h a t o f " u n i ty , s o li tu d e ,u n i q u e n e s s [Einzigkeit]: t h a t w h i c h c a n n o t b e t r a n s f e r r e d . I t i s t h e a b y s s[Abgrund] t h a t c a n n o t b e f a t h o m e d : t h e u n s a y a b l e [d as Unsagbare]. '~I n The Legend o f the Baal-Shem (1908) B u b e r d e s c r ib e s t h e H a s id i c p h e n o m e -
, 7 E C , 3 - 4 .18 EC, 3.x 9 " F o r e w o r d , " Poin t ing the Way , x ( m y e m p h a s i s ) .co S e e e s p ec i a ll y B u b e r ' s c o m m e n t , c i t e d in M a u r i c e F r i e d m a n , M art in Buber 's L i f e and Wo rk :T h e E a r l y Y ea rs 1 8 7 8 - 1 9 2 3 ( N e w Y o r k : E . P . D u t t o n , 1 9 81 ) , 8 6 : " A s fa r a s I u n d e r s t a n d m y s t i c i s m ,
i ts es s e n t ia l t ra i t i s t h e b e l i e f i n a ( m o m e n t o u s ) ' u n i o n ' w i t h t h e D i v i n e o r t h e a b s o l u t e . . . . I f y o ur e a d a t t e n t i v e l y t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n t o Ekstatische Konfessionen, y o u w i l l s e e t h a t e v e n t h e n , i n m y' m y s t i c a l ' p e r i o d , 1 d i d n o t b e l i e v e i n it , b u t o n l y i n a ' m y s t i c a l ' u n i f i c a t i o n o f t h e S e l f , i d e n t i f y i n gt h e d e p t h o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l s e l f w i th t h e S e l f i ts e lf .""~ EC, 6.~" EC, 6 ; E K , x7.
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U N I T Y I N B U B E R 427n o n o f h i t l a h a v u t , " t h e ' i n f l a m i n g a r d o r ' o f e c st as y ," a s a n " e n v e l o p m e n t i n G o db e y o n d t i m e a n d s pa ce ." ~ 3 T h e e x p e r i e n c e o f e c s ta s y is t h u s a n e s c a p e f r o m t h em u n d a n e s p h e r e o f i n t e r p e r s o n a l r e l a t io n s h i p s . " T h e t r u e s t l i f e o f t h e m a n o fe c s t as y is n o t a m o n g m e n. " ~4 I n a d e b a t e i n O c t o b e r 1 9 1 0 w i t h t h e G e r m a ns o c io l o g is t , E r n s t T r o e l t s c h , B u b e r r e j e c t e d t h e l a t t e r ' s c la i m t h a t m y s t i c i s m is a" s o c io l o g i ca l c a t e g o r y , " a r g u i n g i n s t e a d t h a t t h e m y s t i c 's e x p e r i e n c e is b e s tc h a r a c t e r i z e d a s " r e l i g i o u s s o li ps is m ." ~ 5 T h e u n i t y e x p e r i e n c e d b y th e e c s ta t i c isn o t a u n i t y w h i c h u n i f ie s e x i s t en c e , b u t i s r a t h e r a u n i t y w h i c h t r a n s c e n d se x i s t e n c e ." ' A b o v e n a t u r e a n d a b o v e t i m e a n d a b o v e t h o u g h t ' - - t h u s is h e c a l l edw h o is i n e c s t as y . . . . T h e m a n o f e c s ta s y r u l e s l i f e, a n d n o e x t e r n a l h a p p e n i n gt h a t p e n e t r a t e s i n t o h i s r e a l m c a n d i s t u r b h i s i n s p i r a t i o n . ''26E c s ta t ic u n i o n is t h u s a f l e e in g f r o m t h e c o m m o n ~ 7 w o r l d o f s p a c e a n dt im e , t h e w o r l d o f in d i v i d u a t i o n a n d d i f f e re n t i a t i o n . B u b e r r e la t e s t w o H a -s id ic a n e c d o t e s w h i c h a d d r e s s t h is f e a t u r e o f t h e m y s t i c a l - ec s ta t ic e x p e r i e n c e :" I t is t o ld o f o n e m a s t e r t h a t h e h a d t o l o o k a t a c lo c k d u r i n g t h e h o u r o fw i t h d r a w a l i n o r d e r t o k e e p h i m s e l f in th i s w o r l d ; a n d o f a n o t h e r t h a t w h e nh e w i s h e d t o o b s e r v e i n d i v i d u a l t h i n g s h e h a d t o p u t o n s p e c t a c l e s i n o r d e r t or e s t r a i n h i s s p i r i t u a l v i s i o n ; ' f o r o t h e r w i s e h e s a w a ll t h e i n d i v i d u a l t h i n g s o ft h e w o r l d a s o n e ' . ''2 s S u c h a s e e i n g i n d e e d l ie s at t h e c o r e o f B u b e r ' s m y s t ic a lE i n h e i t s l e h r e : a ll t h i n g s b e c o m e o n e i n th e o n e n e s s o f se lf . T h a t is t o s ay , o n ew h o i n t u i t i v e l y e x p e r i e n c e s (er lebt ) t h e u n i t y o f I e x p e r i e n c e s i n t u r n t h e u n i t yo f I a n d w o r l d . F r o m t h e u n i t y o f I a n d w o r l d , m o r e o v e r , t h e r e e m e r g e s t h eu n i t y o f G o d . H e n c e , B u b e r r e m a r k s t h a t e c s ta s y is " o r ig i n a l l y a n e n t e r i n g i n to
9 "T he Li fe of the Hasidim," in The Legend o f the Baal-Shem, t rans. M. Friedman (New York:H arp er & Bro thers, 1955), 17. A crit ical discussion o f Bu ber's t reatm ent o f Hasidism l ies be yon dthe confines o f thi s s tudy . See in par t icular Gersh om Scholem, "Martin Bub er 's Interpre ta t ion ofHasidism," in The Messianic Ide a in Judaism (New York: Schocken Books, 1970, 228-5o; RivkahSchatz-Uffenheimer , "Man's Rela t ion to God and World in Buber 's Rendering of the HasidicTeaching," in The P hilosophy of Ma rtin B uber, eds. P. Schilpp an d M. Fried ma n (La Salle, Il linois:Open Court , 1967), 4o3-34; Steven Katz, "Mart in Buber's Misuse of Hasidic Sources," in Post-Holocaust Dialogues (New Yo rk: New York Univers ity Press, 1983) , 52 -93 .,4 "Life o f the H asidim," 21.9 See Fr iedman , Buber's Li fe and Work, 87, and the ful l text cited by Paul Mendes-Flohr in hisint roduct ion to EC , xvii-xviii.,6 "Life o f the H asidim," 19 -2o . Cf. also the descript ion o f religious expe rience in the story"A Con version " (1914) (cited by Horwitz, Buber's Way, 76, n. 8) as an "o thernes s which did n ot fi tinto the contex t of li fe . . . Th e ' re ligious ' l if ted you out [and was an] i llumination and ecstasy andrapture he ld w i thout time.",7 In 1958 Bu ber ded ica ted an essay to the quest ion of commonali ty . Cf . "What i s Co mm onto A ll," in The Know ledge of M an, t rans. M aurice F riedm an (San Francisco: Ha rpe r & Ro w, 1965),89 - lo 9. Perhap s ther e i s no be t te r indica tion of the " turn " in B uber 's thinking than in hi s revisedund ers tandin g of this d ic tum o f Herac li tus . For a com pari son of the ear ly and later views, c f . thee ssay "The Teachi ng o f Tao , " i n Pointing the Way, esp. 45, with "What Is Co m m on to All .",s "Life o f the H asidim," 2o.
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4 ~ 8 J O U R N A L O F T H E H I S T O R Y O F P H I L O S O P H Y ~ 7 : 3 J U L Y 1 9 8 9G o d [Eingehen in den Gott] , enthusiasmos, b e i n g f i l l e d w i t h t h e g o d [Erffdltseinvom Got te] . "*9 I t is t h is e x p e r i e n c e o f u n i f ic a t io n , w e s u b m i t , w h i c h B u b e ri n t e n d s b y h is a f fi r m a t i o n o f t h e " re a l iz a t io n o f G o d t h r o u g h m a n " i n t h em y s t i c a l s ta g e o f h is t h o u g h t . s o
9 .
T h e s o - ca l le d e x i s te n t ia l is t s t a g e o f B u b e r ' s t h o u g h t g r e w d i r e c t ly o u t o f h isi n t e r e s t in m y s t ic i sm . H e t h u s c o n t i n u e d t o o c c u p y h i m s e l f w i t h th e p r o b l e mo f u n i t y a n d m u l t ip l ic i ty . H e r e w e m e e t , h o w e v e r , a n e s s e n ti a l t u r n i n hi st h i n k i n g . T h e l o c u s o f u n i t y is s till s o u g h t i n t h e s e l f, b u t t h e e m p h a s i s s h i f tsf r o m a u n i t y th a t i s d i s c o v e r e d t o o n e t h a t i s c r e a t e d : " T r u e u n i t y c a n n o t b ef o u n d , i t c a n o n l y b e c r e a t e d . H e w h o c r e a t e s i t r e a li z es t h e u n i t y o f th e w o r l di n t h e u n i t y o f h i s so u l ." s l
I n t h is p h a s e o f B u b e r ' s c a r e e r t w o c ru c ia l d e v e l o p m e n t s a p p e a r . T h e f ir stis t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f t h e n o t i o n o f d e c is i o n (Entschlossenhei t ) o r d i r e c t i o n( R i c h t u n g ) . T h e s e t e r m s , a c c o r d i n g t o B u b e r , s i g n if y t h e u n i q u e , i n n e r " m a g i c "g r a n t e d t o e a c h p e r s o n w h i c h a c c o u n t s f o r t h e p a r t i c u l a r e x i s t e n t i a l p r e d i c a -m e n t o f t h e g i v e n i n d i v id u a l : " D i r e c t io n i s t h a t p r i m a l t e n s i o n o f a h u m a n s o u lw h i c h m o v e s i t t o c h o o s e a n d r e a li z e th i s a n d n o o t h e r o u t o f t h e i n fi n it y o fp o s si bi li ti es . T h u s t h e s o u l s tr ip s o f f th e n e t o f d i r e c ti o n s , t h e n e t o f s p a c e a n dt im e , o f c a u s e s a n d o f e n d s , o f s u b j e c ts a n d o f o b j e ct s ; it s t ri p s o f f t h e n e t o fd i r e c t i o n s a n d t a k e s n o t h i n g w i t h i t b u t t h e m a g i c o f it s d i r e ct io n . " ~ ~
T h e s e c o n d d e v e l o p m e n t i s n o t , p r o p e r l y s p e a k i n g , a n i n n o v a t i o n f o r i ta p p e a r e d a l r e a d y i n B u b e r ' s re f le c ti o n s o n t h e n a t u r e o f t h e e x p e r i e n c e o fe c s t a s y . W h a t w e h a v e i n m i n d i s t h e d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n t h e t w o m o d e s o fe x p e r i e n c e , n a m e l y , E r f a h r u n g a n d Erlebnis . T h e w a y i n w h i c h B u b e r n o wa r t i c u l a t e s t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n , h o w e v e r , t a k e s o n a n e w f o r m : " [ T ] h e r e i s a t w o -f o l d r e l a ti o n o f m a n t o h is e x p e r i e n c e [Erleben]: t h e o r i e n t i n g o r c l a s s i f y i n g[das Orient ieren oder EinsteUen] a n d t h e r e a li z in g o r m a k i n g r e a l [d as Realisierenoder Verwirkl ichen]. W h a t y o u e x p e r i e n c e , d o i n g a n d s u f f e ri n g , c r e a ti n g a n de n j o y i n g , y o u c a n r e g i s t e r in t h e s t r u c t u r e o f e x p e r i e n c e [ Z u s a m m e n h a n g d e rE r f a h r u n g ] f o r t h e s a k e o f y o u r a i m s o r y o u c a n g r a s p it f o r i ts o w n s a k e i n i tso w n p o w e r a n d s p l en d o r ." s s
9 I b i d . , 4 ( G e r m a n t e x t , 14 ).so I t i s i m p o r t a n t t o s tr e s s , h o w e v e r , t h a t e v e n i n h i s m y s t i c a l p e r i o d B u b e r d i d n o t a f f i r m t h e
p o s s i b i l i t y o f u n i o m y s t i c a i n th e s e n s e o f u n i o n b e t w e e n t h e i n d i v id u a l a n d t h e A b s o l u t e o r G o d .S e e th e c o m m e n t c i t e d a b o v e, n . 2 o .
3~ D a n i e l : D i a l o g u e s o n R e a l i z a t i o n , 1 4 I .3 , I b i d . , 5 6 .s s I b i d . , 6 4 . W i t h r e s p e c t t o B u b e r ' s u s e o f E r l e b n is t o n a m e t h e p r e c o n c e p t u a l l iv e d e x p e ri -
e n c e a n d t h e Z u s a m m e n h a n g d e r E r f a h r u n g a s t h e c o h e r e n t s t r u c t u r e o f e x p e r i e n c e w h i c h s h a p e st h is e x p e r i e n c e a n d i n f o r m s t h e e v e r y d a y m o d e o f p e r c e p ti o n , i t is m o r e t h a n p r o b a b l e t h a tB u b e r w a s i n f l u e n c e d b y h i s t e a c h e r a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f B e r li n , W i l h e l m D i l t h ey , w h o l i k ew i s e
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U N I T Y I N B U B E R 4 2 9T h e o r i e n t i n g o r c l a s si fy i n g a t t i t u d e i n v o l v e s o u r c o g n i ti v e a p p r e h e n s i o n
o f th e s p a t i o - t e m p o r a l w o r l d . B u b e r , c l o s e ly f o l lo w i n g K a n t i a n e p i s t e m o l -o gy ,3 4 m a i n t a i n s t h a t o u r p e r c e p t u a l e x p e r i e n c e (Erfahrung) i s a n o r d e r i n ga n d s t r u c t u r in g o f p h e n o m e n a i n a c c o r d a n c e w i th th e f i xe d c a t eg o r i es o fu n d e r s t a n d i n g . I f o u r r e l a t io n t o e x p e r i e n c e is t h a t o f o r i e n t a ti o n , t h e n w e d on o t r e al iz e t h e u n i q u e - - r e l a ti o n l e s s - - -e l e m e n t o f a n e x p e r i e n c e d e v e n t o rt h in g , b u t r a t h e r " f o r c e i t i n t o a c h a i n w h e r e it r e p r e s e n t s j u s t a s m u c h m e a n -i n g a s e v e r y o t h e r l i n k i n t h e c h a i n : j o i n i n g i t a s a l i n k w i t h a n o t h e r l i n k . " 3 5T h e a t t i t u d e o f o r i e n t a t i o n ( i. e. , c l a ss i fi c a ti o n ) t h u s y i e l d s a c o h e r e n t s t r u c t u r e(Zusamm enhang der Erfahrung) , ex pl i c a t ed by sc i en ti f ic d isc ip l i nes , w hich f ac il i-t at es o u r u s e a n d m a n i p u l a t i o n o f o b j ec t s f o r t h e s a k e o f o u r p r ac ti ca l n e e d sa n d u t i l i t a r i a n a i m s .
B e s i d e s t h i s r e l a t i o n t o e x p e r i e n c e , h o w e v e r , t h e r e i s a n o t h e r o p e n e d t om a n , n a m e l y , r e a l i z a t i o n (Verwirkl ichung) . T h i s a t t i t u d e i s a s s o c i a t e d w i t hErlebnis f o r i t i n v o l v e s a n i n t e n s if i e d a w a r e n e s s o f re a li ty , a n a w a r e n e s s n o tb o u n d b y t h e f o rm s a n d la w s o f E r fa h ru n g . " T o r e al iz e ," w r i t es B u b e r , m e a n s" t o r e l a t e l i f e - e x p e r i e n c e t o n o t h i n g e l s e b u t i ts elf." 36 F o r B u b e r , i t is p r e c is e l yt h e o r i e n t a t i n g p o s t u r e w h i c h f i n d s a p l a c e i n ti m e a n d s p a c e f o r th a t w h i c h i se x p e r i e n c e d a n d o r d e r s i t w i t h r e s p e c t t o c a u s e a n d e f f e c t , i n s h o r t , t r a n s -f o r m s t h e e x p e r i e n c e i n to s o m e t h i n g u n i v e rs a ll y c o m p r e h e n s i b l e . T h r o u g ht h e a t t i t u d e o f r e a li z a ti o n , b y c o n t r a s t , o n e i n t u it iv e l y e x p e r i e n c e s t h e u n i q u e ,u n c l a ss if ia b l e d i m e n s i o n o f a g i v e n , c o n c r e t e r e a li ty . W h a t w e e x p e r i e n c e a sErlebnis c a n n o t b e s u b s u m e d u n d e r t h e c at eg o r ie s o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g n o r c a n itb e o f a n y u s e t o u s. O n t h e c o n t r a r y , Erlebnis r e f e r s t o t h e p r i m a r y l e v e l t ow h i c h a ll e x p e r i e n c e , i n c l u d i n g Erfahrung , m u s t b e r e l a te d . I n h is w o r d s : " T h es t r u c t u r e o f e x p e r i e n c e [der Zusam menh ang der Erfahrung] a p p e a r s to m e . . . a ne l a b o r a t i o n o f l i f e - e x p e r i e n c e s [eine Be arb eitung des Erlebnisses].'~7 T h i s e l a b o r a -t io n i s a r e w o r k i n g o f l iv e d e x p e r i e n c e , a r e w o r k i n g w h i c h p r o c e e d s u l t im a t e l ya c c o r d i n g t o o u r u t i li t ar i a n a im s .
m a d e u s e o f p r e c i se l y t h is t e r m i n o l o g y . S e e R u d o l f M a k k r e e l , Dilthey, Philosopher of the Hum anStudies ( P r i n c e t o n : P r i n c e t o n U n i v e r s i t y P r e ss , 1 9 75 ), s .v . " e x p e r i e n c e " ; M i c h ae l E r m a r t h , WilhelmDilthey: The Critique of H istorical Reason ( C h i c a g o : T h e U n i v e r s i ty o f C h i c a g o P r e s s , 1 9 78 ) , l o 9 - ~ i .( I t h a n k P r o f e s s o r M a k k r e e l f o r s u g g e s t i n g th i s r e l a t io n t o m e . ) O n B u b e r ' s i n d e b t e d n e s s toD i l th e y , s ee G r e t e S c h a e d e r , The Hebrew Humanism of Ma rt in Buber, t r a ns . N o a h J a c o b s ( D e t ro i t:W a y n e S t a t e U n i v e r s it y P r e ss , 1 9 73 ), 4 1 - 4 6 , a n d passim; s e e p p . 1o 7 - 4 3 f o r a n e x c e l le n t r e v ie w o fB u b e r ' s t w o f o l d c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n o f e x p e r i e n c e a s o r i e n t a t i o n a n d r e a li z a ti o n .
s4 T h e i n f lu e n c e o f K a n t i a n a n d N e o - K a n t i a n I d e a li s m o n b o t h t h e e ar ly a n d m a t u r e B u b e ri s a t o p i c w h i c h s t i ll n e e d s t o b e s t u d i e d i n d e t a i l . F o r a d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e i n f l u e n c e o f K a n t o nB u b e r ' s d i a lo g i c a l th i n k i n g , s e e S t e v e n K a t z , " M a r t i n B u b e r ' s E p i s t e m o l o g y : A C r i t ic a l A p p r a i s a l ,"in Post-Holocaust Dialogues, 1 - 5 1 . S e e b e l o w , n . 6 4 .35 Dan iel: Dialogues on Realization, 6 4 - 6 5 .
s6 Ib id . , 6 9 .37 Ib id . , 6 5 .
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4 3 ~ J O U R N A L O F T H E H I S T O R Y O F P H I L O S O P H Y 27:3 J U L Y x989B u b e r d i s t i n g u is h e s t h e t w o a t t i t u d e s t o e x p e r i e n c e a g a i n i n t e r m s o f t h e
p r o b l e m o f u n i ty . T h e w o r l d a p p r e h e n d e d b y t h e o r ie n t i n g a t t it u d e is a fr a g -m e n t e d w o r l d , i .e ., a w o r l d o f d is c r e t e a n d d e t e r m i n a t e b o d ie s . T o t h i s w o r l dt h e r e b e l o n g s n o r e a l i t y f o r , as B u b e r p u t i t, " n o t h i n g i n d i v i d u a l is r e a l ini ts el f. "s a T h e w o r l d e x p e r i e n c e d t h r o u g h Erlebn is is , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , au n i f i e d , a n d h e n c e , a r e a l i z e d w o r l d : " R e a l i z i n g l i f e - e x p e r i e n c e c r e a t e s t h ee s s e n t ia l f o r m o f e x i s t e n c e . . . . W h a t w e ca ll t h i n g s a n d w h a t w e c a ll I a r e b o t hc o m p r e h e n d e d i n w h a t is t h u s c r e a t e d ; b o t h f i n d t h e i r r e al i t y h e r e ; b o t h c a no n l y f i n d i t h e r e . F o r a ll l i f e - e x p e r i e n c i n g i s a d r e a m o f u n i f i c a t io n [ V e r b u n d e n -heit]; o r i e n t a t i o n d i v i de s a n d s u n d e r s i t, r e a l i z a ti o n a c c o m p l i s h e s a n d p r o -c l a i m s i t . T h u s a l l r e a l i t y i s f u l f i l l e d u n i f i c a t i o n . " s 9R e a l i t y is c o e x t e n s i v e w i t h u n i f i c a t io n , Verbundenhe i t , b o n d e d n e s s . W h a t isu n b o u n d e d , i .e ., i n d i v i d u a l (E inze lne) , is u n r e a l , o r , a s B u b e r p u t i t, " o n l yp r e p a r a t i o n " 4 o f o r a s t a te o f u n if i c a t io n . B u b e r ' s e m p h a s i s h a s c l e a r l y s h i f t e d :f r o m t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f E i n h e i t i n e c s t a s y t o t h e a c t o f Verbundenhe i t . M a n h a sa n a c t iv e p a r t t o p l a y i n r e a li z i n g u n it y . " T h e c r e a t iv e h o u r s , a c t in g a n d b e h o l d -i n g , f o r m i n g a n d t h i n k i n g , a r e t h e u n i f y i n g h o u r s. "4 1 R e a l it y is u n i f i e d b y au n i t y t h a t h a s b e e n r e a l i ze d . T h e r e a l i z i n g u n i t y is a u n i f i e d r e a li ty , t h e " u n d i -v i d e d m a n " (Ungeschiedene)4~ w h o " m u s t . . . b r i n g f o r t h th e t o ta l it y o f h isb e i n g i n o r d e r t o w i t h s t a n d a s i n g le t h i n g o r e v en t. "4 ~ " T h e r e a l i z i n g m a n " ish e w h o h a s r e a l i z e d h i s p o w e r t o b e o n e , i . e. , h i s d i r e c t i o n , a n d is t h e r e f o r e" t h e g e n u i n e l y r ea l." 44 O n l y o n e w h o i s i n w a r d l y d i r e c t e d c a n r e n d e r r e a li tyr e a l: " [ L ] i f e - e x p e r i e n c e c a ll s t o t h e m a n w h o i s r e a d y t o r e a l iz e it . F o r h e m a yd o t h a t o n l y as a w h o l e a n d u n i t e d p e r so n . "4 5
B u b e r t h u s n o l o n g e r v i e w e d u n i t y a s a b s o l u t e s u b m i s s i o n t o e c st as y . In -d e e d , h e s u g g e s t s th a t " h e w h o s u r r e n d e r s h i m s e l f t o e c st as y w i t h u n d i r e c t e ds o u l " w i ll s u f f e r t h e f a t e o f D i o n y s u s o f w h o m i t w a s s a id t h a t " t h e T i t a n s e n t i c e dh i m b y m e a n s o f a g a m e a n d t o r e h i m i n p i ec e s a n d d e v o u r e d h im . '4 6 T h e o n ew h o , o n t h e c o n t r a r y , is d i r e c t e d w il l s u f f e r t h e f a t e o f O r p h e u s w h o " e n t e r s i n t o
as Ibid., 7 2.s9 Ibid.40 Ibid.4~ Ibid.42 B uber uses this expression in "T he T eaching o f the Tao," 5 l, to describe the m an who hasrealized the unity of the T ao w ithin and without.4s Daniel:Dialogues on Realization,6 9.44 Ibid., 71.45 Ibid ., 6 9~6 Ibid., 55. For B uber's ow n critique o f his earlier view regarding the positive value ofErlebnis as a religious category, see the comm ents o f Horwitz, Buber's Way, 76, n. 8, and sourcescited here. Cf. also Buber, I and Thou, trans. Walter K aufmann (Ne w York: Charles Scribner'sSons, 197o), 157: "T he mo me nt of encounter [Begegnung] is not a "living experience' [Erlebn~]."See below, n. 54-
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U N I T Y I N B U B E R 43~e c s ta t i c d e a t h w i t h t h e l y re ." 4 7 T h i s a c t s y m b o l i z e s t h e d i r e c t e d s o u l f o r s u c h ap e r s o n , l i ke t h e m u s i c i a n , is o n e w h o h a s b r o u g h t e c s t at ic p a s s io n ( d e a t h ) u n d e rc o n t r o l ( r e p r e s e n t e d b y t h e l yr e) . O n l y h e w h o h a s c o n t r o l l e d p a ss i on c a n u n i f yr e a li ty . " M u s i c , " n o t e s B u b e r , " is t h e p u r e w o r d o f t h e d i r e c t e d s o ul." 48 I n as o m e w h a t p a r a d o x i c a l m a n n e r , i t m a y b e s a id t h a t, f o r B u b e r , i t is t h e p e r f e c t e di n d iv i d u a l w h o o v e r c o m e s i n d iv i d u a t io n . A s B u b e r i n s t ru c t s us : " N o t o v e r t h et h in g s , n o t a r o u n d t h e t h i n g s, n o t b e t w e e n t h e t h i n g s - - i n e a c h t h in g , in th ee x p e r i e n c e o f e a ch t h i n g , t h e g a t e o f t h e O n e o p e n s t o y o u i f y o u b r i n g w i t h y o ut h e m a g i c t h a t u n l o c k s it : t h e p e r f e c t i o n o f y o u r d ir e ct io n ." 4 9
B u b e r ' s c o n c e p t io n o f V e r b u n d e n h e i t t h u s s t a n d s i n m a r k e d c o n t r a s t t o h i se a r l i e r n o t i o n o f E i n h e i t : t h e f o r m e r i n v ol ve s a n e n h a n c e d e x p e r i e n c e o f r e al -i ty i n i ts c o n c r e t e w h o l e n e s s , w h e r e a s t h e l a t t e r i n v o l v e s t h e e c s t at ic , s o l i ta r yf e e l i n g o f u n i t y a b o v e t i m e a n d s p a c e. N o t w i t h s t a n d i n g t h is d i f f e r e n c e , i t m a yb e a r g u e d t h a t t h e r e is a f u n d a m e n t a l s im i la r it y b e t w e e n t h e t w o, n a m e l y , th eu n i t y w h i c h B u b e r a f f i r m s i n b o t h c a se s is r e a l i z e d by t h e w i t h d r a w a l o f th es e l f i n t o i t s e lf . T h a t t h is i s s o e v e n i n t h e c a s e o f V e r b u n d e n h e i t i s c l e a r f r o mB u b e r ' s w e l l - k n o w n e x a m p l e o f t h e e x p e r i e n c e w i t h a p ie c e o f m i ca :O n a g l o o m y m o r n i n g I w a l k e d u p o n t h e h i g h w a y , sa w a p ie c e o f m i c a ly i ng , l i ft e d i t u pa n d l o o k e d a t it f o r a l o n g t im e . . . A n d s u d d e n l y a s I r a i se d m y e y e s f r o m i t, I r e a l i z e dt h a t w h i le I l o o k e d I h a d n o t b e e n c o n s c i o u s o f " o b j e c t" a n d " s u b je c t" ; i n m y l o o k i n gt h e m i c a a n d ' T ' h a d b e e n o n e ; i n m y l o o k i n g I h a d t a s te d u n i t y . I l o o k e d a t it a g a i n ,t h e u n i t y d i d n o t r e t u r n . B u t t h e r e i t b u r n e d i n m e a s t h o u g h t o c r e a t e . I c l o s e d m ye y e s, I g a t h e r e d i n m y s t r e n g t h , I b o u n d m y s e l f w i th m y o b j ec t , I r a is e d t h e m i c a in t ot h e k i n g d o m o f t h e e x i st in g . A n d t h e r e . . . I fi rs t f e lt : I; t h e r e I fi r st w a s I . T h e o n ew h o l o o k e d h a d n o t y e t b e e n I ; o n l y th i s m a n h e r e , t h e u n i f i e d m a n [Verbundene], b o r ethe name l ike a crown.sO
A c a r e f u l r e a d i n g o f t h i s te x t l en d s s u p p o r t t o o u r p r e v i o u s c la im , n a m e l y ,u n i f i c a t io n i s c o m p l e t e w h e n t h e I w i t h d r a w s i n t o it se lf , w h e n w h a t i s o v e ra g a i n s t t h e I is s h u t o u t , w h e n , i n s h o r t , t h e I cl o se s it s e y e s . T h i s is n o t t o sa y ,h o w e v e r , t h a t t h e o t h e r is a b s o l u t e ly d i s p e n s a b l e . I n d e e d , c o n f r o n t i n g t h a tw h i c h is o t h e r i s t h e p r e l i m i n a r y p h a s e o f th e u n i f i c a t io n p r o c e s s; B u b e r t h u sb e g in s h is p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l a c c o u n t : " I w a lk e d u p o n t h e h i gh w a y , s aw ap i e c e o f m i c a l y i n g ," e tc . I t s h o u l d b e n o t e d , m o r e o v e r , t h a t e v e n i n t h is s t ag et h e r e is s o m e s o r t o f u n i fi c a t io n : i n t h e l o o k i n g t h e " I h a d n o t b e e n c o n s c i o u so f ' ob j ec t ' a n d ' s u b j e c t ' . . . t h e m i c a a n d ' I ' h a d b e e n o n e . " B u t h e r e w e m u s tp a y s p e c i a l a t t e n t i o n t o t h e G e r m a n t e x t : i n m e in e r A n s c h a u u n g w a r e n d e r G l i m -m e r u n d ' ic h ' e i n s g e w e s e n . T h e p l a c in g o f t h e p r o n o u n i n q u o t a t i o n m a r k s is a
47 Dan iel: Dialogues on Revelation, 55 .48 Ibid.49 Ibid., 53-50 Ibid., 14o.
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4 3 2 J O U R N A L O F T H E H I S T O R Y O F P H I L O S O P H Y ~ 7 : 3 J U L Y 1 9 8 9f a c t t h a t s h o u l d n o t b e o v e r l o o k e d : t h e I o f w h i c h B u b e r h e r e s p e a k s , i .e ., t h e Il o o k i n g a t t h e p h e n o m e n a l o b j ec t , t h e m i c a , is n o t y e t I c h , i .e ., t h e c o m p l e t e l yr e a l iz e d I . T h e I c h , i n c o n t r a s t t o i c h , a p p e a r s o n l y w h e n o n e s t o p s g a z i n g u p o nt h e o b j e c t . P a r a d o x i c a l l y , t h e I is b o u n d t o , i. e., b e c o m e s o n e w i t h, i ts o b j e c tw h e n t h e I c l o se s it s e y e s . T h e I o f t h e l o o k i n g , t h e p e r c e i v i n g s u b j e ct , is n o tt h e u n i f i e d - - r e a l i z e d - - I . " T h e o n e w h o l o o k e d [ a t t h e m ic a ] h a d n o t ye t b e e nI . " T h e I is f i r s t f e l t in i ts f u l l n e s s w i t h t h e c l o s i n g o f t h e e y e s , w h e n t h e r e i s n ol o n g e r a n o t h e r o v e r a g a i n s t th e I . R e a l i za t io n o f se l f t h u s d e m a n d s a t u r n i n ga w a y f r o m t h e p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l f ie ld .
B u b e r ' s t e a c h i n g f i n ds s u c c in c t e x p r e s s i o n i n th e w o r d s o f J e s u s t o M a r t h a :o n e t h i n g is n e e d f u l ( L u k e l o : 4 2 ) . T h a t w h i c h is n e e d f u l i s t h e o n e t h i n g , i .e .,t h e t h i n g t h a t i s o n e , t h a t u n i f ie s . I n t h e e s sa y , " T h e T e a c h i n g o f th e T a o "( 1 91 o ), B u b e r e l a b o r a t e s t h i s t h e m e : " T h e t e a c h i n g h a s o n ly o n e s u b j ec t : th en e e d f u l . I t is r e a l i z e d i n g e n u i n e l if e. F r o m t h e s t a n d p o i n t o f m a n , t h i s r e a li z a -t io n m e a n s n o t h i n g o t h e r t h a n u n i t y . . , t h e un i ty o f t hi s h u m a n l if e a n d t h ish u m a n s o u l t h a t f u l f il s i t s el f i n i ts e lf , t h e u n i t y o f y o u r l i fe a n d y o u r s o u l, y o uw h o a r e s e i z ed b y t h e t e a c h i n g . G e n u i n e l if e is u n i f i e d l i f e .' 5, T h e u n i f i e d s o u l ist h e " s o u l t h a t f u lf il s it s e l f i n i t se l f. . .. . T h e u n i t y o f t h e w o r l d , " c o n t i n u e s B u b e r ," is o n l y t h e r e f l e c t i o n o f h i s u n i ty ; f o r t h e w o r l d is n o t h i n g a l ie n , b u t o n e w i t ht h e u n i f i e d m a n ." 5 2 R e a l i t y is t h u s s u b s u m e d i n t o t h e s el f. F o r t h e B u b e r o f t h em y s t i c a l- e x is t e n ti a l p e r i o d , a s H u g o B e r g m a n n o t es , " t h e r e i s n o o t h e r r e a l it yt h a n t h r o u g h m a n w h o r e a li z e s h i m s e l f a n d a ll b e in g ." s s B u b e r d i d n o t y e te m b r a c e t h e i n d e p e n d e n t b e i n g o f G o d o r w o r l d v is -a -v is m a n . T h e l oc us o fu n i t y in b o t h s t a g e s o f B u b e r ' s p r e - d i a l o g i c al t h o u g h t r e m a i n e d t h e i n d iv i d u a lc o n s c io u s n e s s , w h e t h e r u n d e r s t o o d a s t h e " is o l a te d " a n d " d e t a c h e d s u b j e ct iv -ity"54 o f t h e e c s ta t ic o r a s t h e e x p e r i e n c i n g s u b j e c t o f t h e d i r e c t e d s o u l.
.
P a u l M e n d e s - F l o h r h a s p o i n t e d o u t t h a t w h i le in h is ea r l y c a r e e r B u b e r o c ca -s i o n a ll y a d d r e s s e d s o c i o lo g i c a l i ss u e s, h is r e a l c o n c e r n w i t h s u c h m a t t e r s a s
5, "Th e Teaching of the Tao," 34-5, Ibid., 48.5s H ugo B ergman, "Mart in Buber and Mystic ism," n The Philosophy of M artin Buber, 299.54 Bu ber uses this expression to describe Erleben, the "ex periencing o f life," in the preface tothe 1923 edition ofR ede n i iber dasJudentum. See the English translation, On Judaism, 8. I t is clearfrom the context th at B uber's characterization of certain modes o f experience is a veiled refer-ence to some o f his own earlier positions which at the time o f the composition of this preface hehad rejected. Cf. also the following rem ark in "H erut: On Youth and Religion," in On Judaism,153: "[A ]n individual entertains the illusion that h e has su rrende red himself to the uncondi-t ional . . . having had an 'experience ' [Erlebnis]. His being remains wholly unpertu rbed . . . . Hedoes not know the response; he knows only a 'mo od ' [Stimmung]. He has psychologized God." Seeabove, n. 46.
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U N I T Y I N B U B E R 4 3 3i n t e r p e r s o n a l r e l a t i o n s b e g a n d u r i n g t h e F i rs t W o r l d W a r.s 5 A t f ir s t B u b e rm a i n t a i n e d t h a t g e n u i n e c o m m u n i t y , G e m e i n s c h a f t , c o u l d b e r e s t o r e d o n l yt h r o u g h t h e i n n e r l i v e d - e x p e r i e n c e o f i n d iv i d u a l s. H e t h u s e n t h u s ia s t i ca l l ye n d o r s e d t h e w a r w h i c h , i n s o f a r a s i t d e m a n d e d h e r o i c a c t io n , h e t o o k a s a ni m p e t u s f o r r e - e s t a b l i s h in g G e m e i n s c h a f t . I n t h e c o u r s e o f t h e w a r , h o w e v e r , h eb e c a m e d i s i l l us i o n e d . A s e e d o f t r a n s f o r m a t i o n h a d b e g u n t o g e r m i n a t e i n h ist h i n k i n g : t h e l o c u s o f t h e r e a l i za t i o n o f u n i t y w as n o l o n g e r c o n s i d e r e d t o b et h e i n d i v i d u a l c o n s ci o u s n e s s , b u t r a t h e r t h e r e a l m o f r e l at i o n s b e t w e e n i n d i-v i du a ls . T h i s t r a n s f o r m a t i o n c a n b e c le a r ly d e t e c t e d i n t h e 19 1 8 a d d r e s s , " D e rH e i l i g e W a r : E i n W o r t a n d i e J u d e n u n d a n d i e V 6 1 ke r. " I n t h i s a d d r e s sB u b e r s p e c if i c al l y d i s c u s s e s t h e p r o b l e m o f t h e r e a l i z a t i o n o f d i v i n e u n i t y :G o d ma y b e se e n se m in a l ly w i th in al l t h in g s , b u t H e mu s t b e r e a l iz e d b e tw e e n th e m [eri st z u ~ is ch en d en D i n g en z u ve r w ir k li chen ] . . . . T h e D iv in e ma y c o me to l if e in in d iv id u a lma n , m ay revea l i t se l f f ro m with in ind iv idua l man ; b u t i t a t ta ins it s ea r th ly fu l lnesso n l y w h e r e . . , i n d iv i d u al b e in g s o p e n t h e m s el v es t o o n e a n o t h e r . . , w h e r e t h e s u b-l ime s t ro n g h o ld o f th e in d iv id u a l i s u n b o l t e d , a n d ma n b re a k s f r e e to me e t o th e r m e n .When th is takes p lace , where the e te rna l r i ses in the Be tween [Dazwischen] , the seem-in g ly e mp ty sp a c e : th a t t ru e p la c e o f r e a l i z a t io n i s c o mmu n i ty [ d e r w a h r e O f t d e rV er w i r k l i ch u n g i s t d i e G em e i n sch a ft ], a n d t ru e c o m mu n i ty is t h a t r el a t io n sh ip in w h ich th eDiv ine com es to i ts rea l iza t ion be tween m an a nd man .58
T h e r e a p p e a r s i n th i s p a ss a g e w h a t is p e r h a p s t h e m o s t c r u ci a l w o r d i nB u b e r ' s d i a lo g i c al t h o u g h t , n a m e l y , z w i s c h e n , " b e t w e e n . " C o n c e r n i n g t h i sw o r d , B u b e r w a s l a t e r to w r i te : " I c a ll t h is s p h e r e , w h i c h is e s t a b l i s h e d w i t h t h ee x is t en c e o f m a n a s m a n b u t w h i c h is c o n c e p tu a l l y s ti ll u n c o m p r e h e n d e d , t h es p h e r e o f ' b et w e e n ' [ d i e S p h g i r e d e s Z w i s c h e n ] . T h o u g h b e i n g r e a l i z e d i n v e r yd i f f e r e n t d e g r e e s , i t is a p r i m a l c a t e g o r y o f h u m a n r ea li ty ." 57 T h e " b e t w e e n "is , f o r B u b e r , " d o u b l e - f a c e d . " s s I n o n e s e n s e i t is o n t o l o g i c a l l y p r i o r t o al lr e l a t i o n s f o r i t i s t h a t w h i c h m a k e s a l l r e l a t i o n s p o s s ib l e ; i n a n o t h e r s e n s e ,h o w e v e r , i t is c o n t i n u o u s l y r e c o n s t i t u t e d b y , a n d t h u s p o s t e r i o r t o , t h e p a r t ic u -l a r e v e n t s o f re l a t io n . N o t w i t h s t a n d i n g t h i s t w o f o l d n a t u r e o f t h e " b e t w e e n " asc a u s e a n d e f f e c t, o n e t h i n g is c e r t a i n : t h e p r e - e m i n e n c e o f t h is c o n c e p t i nB u b e r ' s d i a lo g i c a l t h i n k i n g p o i n t s t o th e f a c t t h a t t h e p a r t n e r s o f r e l a t io n a r ee s ta b li s he d t h r o u g h t h e m u t u a l i t y o f r el a ti o n . " I r e q u i r e a Y o u t o b e c o m e ;
55 C f. P a u l M e n d e s - F l o h r , " F r o m K u h u r m y s t i k t o D i a lo g u e : A n I n q u i r y i n t o t h e F o r m a t i o no f M ar t i n B u b e r ' s P h i l o s o p h y o f I an d T h o u " (P h .D . d i s s e r ta t i o n , B ran d e i s U n i v e r s i t y , 1 97 3) ,3 - 4 -56 " T h e H o l y W a y : A W o r d t o t h e J e w s a n d t o th e N a t i o n s , " i n O n J u d a i s m , 1 o 9 - 1 o . I h a v ea l so m a d e u s e o f th e o r i g i n a l G e r m a n t e x t , Reden i iber dasJude n tum (Be r l in : Scho cken , 1932 ) .
s7 " W h a t I s M a n ? " 2 o 3 . S e e t h e d e t a i le d p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l a n a ly s is o f M i c h ae l T h e u n i s s e n ,De rAn dere : S tudien z ur Sozia lonto logie t ier Gegenwart (B e r l i n : Wa l t e r d e G ru y t e r & C o . , 1 9 65 ), 2 4 3 f f .5s T h i s e x p r e s s i o n i s u s e d b y N a t h a n R o t e n s t r e i c h t o d e s c r ib e B u b e r ' s n o t i o n o f t h e " b e -t w e e n . " C f . R o t e n s t r e ic h , " B u b e r ' s D i a lo g i ca l T h o u g h t , " i n The Ph i lo sophy o f Mar t in Buber , 98 .
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4 3 4 J O U R N A L O F T H E H I S T O R Y O F P H I L O S O P H Y 2 7 : 3 J U L Y ~ 9 8 9b e c o m i n g I , I s ay Y ou ."5 9 B u b e r t h u s a c c o r d s o n t i c p r i m a c y t o t h e c a t e g o r y o f" b e t w e e n " f o r it is t h e g r o u n d o u t o f w h ic h e m e r g e s t h e i d e n ti ty o f th e r e l at a.T h e r e la ta , a c c o r d i n g t o B u b e r , a r e n o t s e l f- c o n ta i n e d e n t i ti e s b u t r a t h e ren t i t i e s - in - r e l a t i on .
T h e r e a l m o f t h e " b e t w e e n " i s a p r i m a l r e a l i ty in b o t h t h e r e l ig i o u s a n ds o ci al s p h e r e s . G o d , c o n c l u d e s B u b e r , i s r e a l iz e d n e i t h e r i n c o n t e m p l a t i v ee c s ta s y n o r i n i n t e n s if i e d l i f e - e x p e r i e n c e , b u t r a t h e r i n t h a t " s e e m i n g l y e m p t ys p a c e '6 ~ w h i c h d w e l ls b e t w e e n m e n , t h a t s p a c e w h e r e i n m a n m e e t s m a n . " T h er a d i an c e o f t h e i n e f fa b l e 's g l o r y . . , g lo w s d i m l y in all h u m a n b e in g s , e v e r yo n e o f t h e m ; b u t i t d o e s n o t s h i n e i n i ts fu l l b r i g h t n e s s w i t h in t h e m - - - o n l yb e t w e e n t h e m . TM " T h e r e a l i z a t i o n o f t h e D i v i n e o n e a r t h is f u l f il l e d n o t w i t h i nm a n b u t b e t w e e n m a n a n d m a n . . , it is c o n s u m m a t e d o n ly in th e lif e o f tr u ec o m m u n i t y . " 6 2
B u b e r i n s is ts , m o r e o v e r , t h a t r e l a t i o n n e c e s s i t a t e s t h e d i s t in c t n e s s o f t h er e la t a . H e n c e , i n th e r e l i g io u s r e l a ti o n , G o d a n d m a n m u s t b e v i e w e d a sd i st in c t . " A p h e n o m e n o n o f r e li g i o u s re a l it y ," w r it e s B u b e r , i s " s o m e t h i n g t h a tt a k e s p l ac e b e t w e e n m a n a n d G o d , t h a t is, i n t h e r e a li ty o f th e i r r e l a t io n s h i p ,t h e m u t u a l r e a l i t y [der Wirklichkeit der W echselwirkung] o f G o d a n d m a n."6 3 G o dis n o l o n g e r c o n c e i v e d o f b y B u b e r a s b e i n g r e al iz e d b y m a n i f w e u n d e r s t a n dr e a l i z a t io n a s ' m a k i n g r e a l , ' 'b r i n g i n g i n t o a c t u a li ty ' . I f G o d w e r e n o t o n t i c a l lyr e a l , t h e " A b s o l u te , "6 4 " E t e r n a l " (ewigen)6~ or i n f in i t e (unendliche)66 T h o u , t h e nt h e r e c o u l d b e n o d i a l o g i c a l r e l a t i o n b e t w e e n G o d a n d m a n . H e r e w e t o u c hu p o n a f u n d a m e n t a l n o t i o n f o r B u b e r , o n e t o w h i c h w e sh al l r e t u r n a t a l a te rp o i n t . I n s h o r t i t m a y b e s t a te d : r e l a t i o n s h i p i n v o lv e s a t u r n i n g - t o w a r d s - t h e -
59 I and Thou, 6 2 . I n p r e p a r a t i o n o f t h is s tu d y I h a v e m a d e u s e o f t h e G e r m a n o r i g i na l , Ichu n d D u ( L e i p z i g : I n s e l - V e r l a g , 1 9 2 3 ) .60 T h i s i s n o t t o s ay t h a t t h e " b e t w e e n " i s t r u l y e m p t y ; o n t h e c o n t r a r y , a s t h e s p a c e in w h i c h
t h e " e n c o u n t e r " o r " m e e t i n g " a r is e s , i. e. , t h e p l a c e o f r e a l iz a t io n , i t is tr u l y f u l l. T h e r e i s ap a r a d o x i c a l i m p l i c a t io n i n B u b e r ' s r e f e r r i n g t o t h e " b e t w e e n " a s t h e " s e e m i n g l y e m p t y s p a c e . " I t isn o t i m p o s s i b l e t h a t B u b e r ' s c h o i c e o f te r m i n o l o g y r e f l e ct s t h e L u r i a n i c c o n c e p t o f th e " p r i m o r d i a ls p a c e " w i t h i n t h e G o d h e a d w h i c h i s t h e c l e a r i n g t h a t r e m a i n s a f t e r a p r i m a l a c t o f w i t h d r a w a l(zimzum) o f G o d i n t o h i m s e l f . O n t h i s L u r i a n i c c o n c e p t , s e e G . S c h o l e m , M a j o r T r e n d s i n J e w i s hMysticism ( N e w Y o r k : S c h o c k e n , 1 9 6 1 ), 2 6 o - 6 4 . L i k e B u b e r ' s " b e t w e e n , " th e " s p a c e " i n th e L u -r i a n i c sy s t e m i s b e s t c h a r a c t e r i z e d a s " s e e m i n g l y e m p t y , " f o r i t is in t r u t h m o s t f u ll .
6~ " T h e H o l y W a y , " l o 9 .6 , Ib id . , 113 .~ s " P r e f a c e , " O n Ju d a i s m , 4 .64 B u b e r m a k e s u s e o f t h i s e x p r e s s i o n i n t h e l e c t u r e s " R e l ig i o n a ls G e g e n w a r t " ; c f . H o r w i tz ,
Buber's Way, l o 7 - 1 o . I t s h o u l d b e n o t e d , m o r e o v e r , t h a t i n t h e l e c tu r e s as w e l l a s i n th e e a r l i e ra d d r e s s " H e r u t " ( se e O n J u d a i s m , 1 5 o ) B u b e r a l s o r e f e r r e d t o G o d b y t h e K a n t i a n e x p r e s s i o n , " t h eT h o u i n i t s e l f , " d a s Du an s i ch . S e e H o r w i t z , Buber ' s Way , l o 9 , n . 3 2 , w h o h a s a l r e a d y n o t e d t h eK a n t i a n i n f l u e n c e h e r e ; c f . 1 6 4 , n . 2 8 , a n d 1 7 4 . S e e a b o v e , n . 3 4 .
65 Cf. I a n d T h o u , 5 7 .66 I and T hou, 12 8.
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UNITY IN BUBER 435o t h e r ( H i n w e n d u n g ) a s O t h e r . I n t h e r e l i g i o u s r e l a t i o n , t h e r e f o r e , t h e d i s t i n c to t h e r n e s s o f b o t h p a r t n e r s , G o d a n d m a n , m u s t b e u p h e l d . T o b e su r e , B u b e rc o n t i n u e s t o s p e a k o f re a l iz i n g G o d ,6 7 b u t b y th i s h e n o w m e a n s " t o p r e p a r et h e w o r l d f o r G o d , a s a p l a c e f o r t h i s r e a l i t y - - t o h e l p t h e w o r l d b e c o m e G o d -r e a l [got twirk l ich]; i t m e a n s , i n o t h e r a n d s a c r e d w o r d s , t o m a k e r e a li ty o n e . ''6 sT h a t t h e w o r l d b e c o m e s G o d - r e a l d o e s n o t im p l y t h a t G o d b e c o m e s re a l i n th ew o r l d ; t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n t h e s e n o t i o n s m a r k s t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e nB u b e r ' s p r e - a n d p o s t - d i a l o g i c a l t h o u g h t .
T h e " b e t w e e n " li k e w i s e p l a y s a n e s s e n t i a l r o l e i n B u b e r ' s so c ia l t h i n k i n g . I nt h e w r it in g s w h i c h c h r o n o l o g i c a l ly p r e c e d e d a n d c o n c e p t u a l l y a n t i c i p a t e d t h ef u ll y d e v e l o p e d d i a lo g ic a l p h i lo s o p h y , B u b e r m a i n t a in e d t h a t " c o m m u n i t y " is" t h e r e a l i z a t i o n o f th e D i v i n e i n t h e s h a r e d l if e o f m e n." 69 " G o d i s t r u l y p r e s e n tw h e n o n e m a n c la s p s t h e h a n d o f a no th e r. "7 o M e n d e s - F l o h r h a s a p tl y su m m a -r i ze d B u b e r ' s o p i n i o n i n t h is p e r i o d : " B y w o r k i n g f o r Gemeinschaf t , m e n a f f e ctt h e r ea l iz a ti o n o f G o d i n t h e w o r ld ." 7 , H e r e a g a i n B u b e r t u r n e d t o J u d a i s m t of in d a c o n c r e t e e m b o d i m e n t o f his th i n k in g . T h e J e w e x p e r i e n c e s a p e r f e c th a r m o n y b e t w e e n h i s re l ig i o u s a n d e t h ic a l d u t ie s : t o lo v e G o d is t o lo v e o n e ' sn e i g h b o r , t o l o v e o n e ' s n e i g h b o r is t o l o v e G o d . " I n g e n u i n e J u d a i s m e t h ic sa n d f a i t h a r e n o s e p a r a t e s p h e r e s ; i t s i d e a l , h o l i n e s s , i s t r u e c o m m u n i t y w i t hG o d a n d t r u e c o m m u n i t y w i th h u m a n b e in g s , b o t h in o n e . " I n d e e d , J u d a i s m ' s" w a i t f o r t h e M e s s i a h is t h e w a i t f o r t h e t r u e c o m m u n i t y ." 7 ,
T h i s c o n v e r g e n c e o f t h e r e l ig i o u s t a s k a n d t h e e t h ic a l is r e i t e r a t e d i n t h ec o n t e x t o f B u b e r ' s d ia lo g ic a l th i n k in g . I n s t e a d o f s p e a k i n g a b o u t c o m m u n i t ya s th e r e a li z a ti o n o f G o d i n t h e w o r l d , h o w e v e r , h e s p e a k s o f t h e " l iv in g , a ct iv eC e n t e r " (d ie l ebendige w irkende Mi t t e ) w h i c h i s t h e " b u i l d e r " o f " t r u e c o m m u -n i ty " ( d ie w a h r e G e m e i n d e ) .7 3 T h e " g e n u i n e e x i st e n c e o f a c o m m u n i t y " i s a l o n ea s s u r e d b y " th e c o m m o n r e la t io n t o t h e C e n t e r " [ d i e G e m e i n sa m k e i t d e r
67 As Rivka Horwitz has pointed out, Buber ' s Way, 214-15, the concept of "realization"(Verwirklichung), which continued to play an important role in Buber's lectures "Religion alsGegenwart" given in a92~, was eventually abandoned by Buber sometime in 1923, the year inwhich l ch u n d D u appea red. Thus, for example, in one place in the lectures (92) Buber states: "Ido not have to experience [erfahren] the Thou that confronts me, but to realize it [verwirklichen]."Or again, in another place (lo3) he writes that the Thou-Relation cannot be fulfilled throughperception (Erkenntnis) but only through realization (Verwirklichung). And cf. I and Thou, 61 : "T heform that confronts me I cannot experience [erfahren] nor describe; I can only actualize[verwirklichen] it. And yet I see it, radiant in the splendor of confrontation [Gegeni iber] . . . it is anactual relat ion [wirklicheBeziehung]: it acts on me as I act on it." See Kaufmann's n. 4, ad loc.68 I and Thou, 9. See Horwitz's comments re gard ing this passage in Buber's Way, 22 4.
"The Holy Way," 145.70 "nerut," 151.7~ Mendes- FIoh r, "Fr om Ku lturm ystik to Dialogue," 173.72 "The Holy Way," i 11.73 I and Thou, 94-
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4 3 6 J O U R N A L O F T H E H IST O RY O F PH IL O SO PH Y 2 7 : 3 J UL Y 1 9 8 9B e z i e h u n g z u r M i t t e ] . " 7 4 T r u e c o m m u n i t y " is a n e v e n t t h a t a ri se s o u t o f th eC e n t e r [ di e M i t t e ] b e t w e e n m e n ." 7 5 " W h e n i n d i v id u a l s r e a ll y h a v e s o m e t h i n g t od o w i t h o n e a n o t h e r , w h e n t h e y s h a r e a n e x p e r i e n c e a n d t o g e t h e r e x i st e nt ia l l yr e s p o n d t o t h a t e x p e r i e n c e - - t h a t is , w h e n m e n h a v e a l iv in g C e n t e r a b o u tw h i c h t h e y a r e c o n s t e l l a te d , t h e n G e m e i n s c h a f t is e s t a b l i s h e d b e t w e e n t h e m . ' 7 6I t is t h r o u g h t h e r e c i p r o c a l re l a t io n s h i p t h a t p e o p l e h a v e t o th e C e n t e r t h a tt h e y a r e r e c i p r o c a l l y r e l a t e d t o o n e a n o t h e r . Y e t , i n s o f a r a s i n e v e r y fi n it eT h o u o n e a d d r e s s e s t h e e t e r n a l T h o u , 77 it f o l lo w s t h a t t h r o u g h t h e i n t e r-h u m a n r e l a t io n s h i p t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n G o d a n d m a n is l ik e w is e e s ta b -l is h e d . T h e C e n t e r t h u s s i m u l t a n e o u l s y b r i n g s t o g e t h e r t h a t w h i c h is s e t a t ad i s t a n c e a n d h o l d s a t a d is t a n c e t h a t w h i c h is b r o u g h t t o ge th e r; 7 ~ t h e " b e -t w e e n " i s t h e s e p a r a t i o n - g a t h e r i n g , t h e m e e t i n g - g r o u n d o f t h a t w h ic h i s d is -t in c t. T h e o t h e r r e m a i n s ' o t h e r ' t h r o u g h t h e C e n t e r w h e r e b y i t is r e l a te d t oa n o t h e r .
I t is a t t h is p o i n t t h a t w e a r e p r e p a r e d t o d e t e r m i n e w h a t m e a n i n g t h ec o n c e p t o f u n i ty r e c e i v es in t h e f r a m e w o r k o f B u b e r ' s p h i l o s o p h y o f d ia l o g u e .B u b e r b e g i n s I a n d T h o u b y d i s t in g u i s h i n g t h e t w o f o l d a t t i t u d e ( z w i e f a l t i g e nH a l t u n g ) o n e h a s t o t h e w o r l d a n d t h e t w o ba s ic w o r d s ( G r u n d w o r t e ) w h i c h o n ec a n s p e a k i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h a t a t ti tu d e .7 9 T h e b a si c w o r d s B u b e r d i st in -g u is h es a s I - I t a n d I - T h o u . T h e s p e a k in g o f th e f o r m e r c o r r e s p o n d s t o o u rc o g n i t i v e e x p e r i e n c e ( E r f a h r u n g ) o f t h e w o r l d c o m p r i s e d o f d i s c re t e o b je c ts( G e g e n s ~ n d e ) c a u sa l l y c o n n e c t e d t h r o u g h a s p a t i o - t e m p o r a l n e x u s . " T h e I t-w o r ld h a n g s t o g e t h e r [ di e E s w e l t h a t Z u s a m m e n h a n g ] i n s p a c e a n d t im e . "8 ~ T h e I t -w o r l d is a w o r l d w h e r e i n w e e x p e r i e n c e " t h i n g s t h a t c o n s i st o f q u a l it ie s a n dp r o c e s s e s t h a t c o n s is t o f m o m e n t s , t h i n g s r e c o r d e d i n t e r m s o f sp a ti a l c o o r d i -n a te s a n d p r o c e s se s r e c o r d e d i n t e r m s o f t e m p o r a l c o o r d i n a t es , t h in g s a n dp r o c e ss e s t h a t a r e b o u n d e d b y o t h e r t h i n gs a n d p r o c es s e s a n d c a p a b le o f b e in gm e a s u r e d a g a in s t a n d c o m p a r e d w i th th o s e o t h e r s - - a n o r d e r e d w o r l d [geord-n e t e W e l t ] , a d e t a c h e d w o r l d [ a b g e t r e n n t e W e l t ] . TM T h e e x p e r i e n c e d w o r l d , in
74 Ibid., x63.72 Martin Buber--Abende, 5 unpublished lectures, 1923 , lecture 5, P. 3, quoted by M endes-Flohr, "From Kulturmy stik to Dialogue," 176.76 "W ie kann Gem einschaft werden?" in Worte an dieJugend (Berlin: Schocken, 1938), 54,cited in M endes-Flohr, "From Kulturmystik to Dialogue," 339.77 "W ie kann Gem einschaft werden?" 57.~s Cf. Robert Wood, Martin Buber's Ontology (Evanston: Northwestern University Press,1969), 41 : "T he notion of the Between carries two significant elements. First, it points to the self-transcendent character of the act whereby one relates to the Thou. Second, it points to theultimate inaccessibility, .e., the real otherness of the T ho u."79 I and Thou , 53. This clearly corresponds in pa rt to the distinction Buber m ade at an earlierstage between th e orienting a nd realizing attitude; cf. Daniel: Dialogues on Realization, 64 .80 I and Thou, 84 .s~ Ibid., 8u.
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U N I T Y I N B U B E R 4 3 7short, is a world of coordination, coherency, structure, reliability. In such aworld things do n ot meet us; they stand apart from us and are used by us. Suchexperience is, there fore, merely surface or superficial knowledge (Erfahrung) .8~
Yet, man is capable of speaking another basic word, that o f the I-Thou. Byspeaking this word one no longer dwells in the world of experience; oneenters the world of relation (Beziehung) . In saying Thou I do not experiencean object bounded by countless other objects in a "spatio-temporal-causal-context";83 instead I encoun ter tha t which is not, properly speaking, an objectat all, namely, the sui generis .s4 Th e world of relation is not a structured cosmosfor the Tho u canno t be measured , coordina ted, or classified in terms of otherThous . Inde ed, every Tho u is utterly unique.S5 Hence, Buber concludes, theThou is not an object (Gegenstand) which stands apart from us to be catego-rized and used, but ra ther a presence (Gegenwar t ) which "confronts us, waitingand enduring [Gegenwar tende und Gegenwahrende] . '86
It is through the presence of Thou that the present comes to be. ForBuber, the present exists only insofar as there is relationship, encounter."Only as the You becomes presen t [gegenw iirt ig wird] does presence come intobeing [en tsteh t . . . . . 87, e g e n w a r q . The presentness (Gegenwiir t igkei t ) of presence isthat which cannot be re-presented. What can be re-presented is only thatwhich exists in the past, i.e., the object. The presentness of presence, however,can only be confro nted , encountere d. Relation thus is, for Buber, a noumenalevent. 88 "T he You-world does not hang togethe r in space and time."80 In theimmediacy of relation I do n ot experience an object, I encounte r a presence."When I confront [gegeni iber] a human being as my You and speak the basicword I-You to him, then he is no thing among things nor does he consist ofthings. He is no longer He or She, limited by other Hes and Shes, a dot in theworld grid of space and time, nor a condition that can be experienced anddescribed, a loose bund le of nam ed qualities. Neighborless and seamless, he isYou and fills the firmament."9o
Notwithstanding the noumenal, unconditional nature of presence, everyrelation must be "consecrated" into the world of phenomenalit y and condition-ality: "The You also appear s in space, but only in an exclusive confronta tion in
8 , I b i d . , 5 5 , a n d s e e K a u f m a n n ' s n . 4 , a d loc.83 B u b e r ' s l o c u t i o n ; s e e 1 a n d T h o u , 8 1 .84 I and Thou, 5 5 .85 Ib id . , 59"86 Ib i d . , 6 4 .~7 I b i d . , 6 3 .88 I d e l ib e r a t e l y u s e K a n t i a n l a n g u a g e h e r e . S e e K a t z , " B u b e r ' s E p i s t e m o l o g y , " es p,. 8 - 2 3 ; s e ea ls o F r i e d m a n , Buber ' s L i f e and Work , 2 6 - 3 ~ .89 1 an d Th ou, 8 4 .o o I b i d . , 5 9 .
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4 3 8 J O U R N A L O F T H E H I S T O R Y O F P H I L O S O P H Y 2 7 : 3 J U L Y 1 9 8 9w h i c h e v e r y t h i n g e ls e ca n o n l y b e b a c k g r o u n d f r o m w h i c h i t e m e r g e s , n o t i tsb o u n d a r y a n d m e a s u r e . T h e Y o u a p p e a r s i n t im e , b u t in t h a t o f a p ro c es s t h a tis f u l f i l le d i n i t s e l f - - a p r o c e s s l i v ed t h r o u g h n o t a s a p ie c e t h a t i s a p a r t o f ac o n s t a n t a n d o r g a n i z e d s e q u e n c e b u t i n a 'd u r a t i o n ' w h o s e p u r e l y i n te n s i v ed i m e n s i o n c a n b e d e t e r m i n e d o n l y b y s t a r t i n g f r o m t h e Y ou."9x T h a t e v e r yr e l a t io n m u s t e n t e r t h e s p a t i o - t e m p o r a l r e a l m r e p r e s e n t s t h e " s u b l i m e m e l a n -c h o l y o f o u r l o t" f o r i t e nt a il s t h a t " e v e r y Y o u i n t h e w o r l d is d o o m e d b y it sn a t u r e t o b e c o m e a t h i n g o r a t l ea s t t o e n t e r i n t o t h i n g h o o d a g ain ." 9~ " A l lr e s p o n s e b i n d s t h e Y o u i n t o t h e I t - w o r l d . " 9 3 S u c h i s t h e m e l a n c h o l i c f a t e o fm a n , b u t f r o m a n o t h e r p e r s p e c t i v e it m a y b e c o n s i d e r e d h is g r e a t n e s s , f o r i tb e s to w s u p o n m a n t h e t a s k o f c o n s e c r a t i o n , i. e., o f l if t i n g u p t h e w o r l d f r o m af a l le n s t at e o f o b j e c t n es s t o a r e d e e m e d s t at e o f r el a t e d n e s s. T h e t a sk o f m a n ist o m a k e t h e w o r l d G o d - l i k e , t o p r e p a r e i t f o r e n c o u n t e r . R e d e m p t i o n i s " t h eG o d - s i d e o f t h e e v e n t w h o s e w o r l d - s i d e is c a ll e d r e t u r n [Umkehr],"94 i .e . , t u r n -i n g , m e e t i n g , c o n f r o n t i n g . J u s t a s e v e r y T h o u m u s t b e c o m e I t , s o e v e r y I t c a na g a i n b e c o m e T h o u ; t o m a k e i t s o is t h e r e d e m p t i v e - - - m e s s i a n i c - - t a s k o f m a n .
I n t h e c o n s e c r a t i o n o f t h e I - T h o u r e l a t i o n th e " w o r l d - o r d e r " (We l to rdnung)d i s cl o s es i ts e l f. W h a t B u b e r i n t e n d s b y t h is p h r a s e " w o r l d - o r d e r " i s a d i f f i c u l tt h i n g t o e x p r es s . I n d e e d , t h e d i f f i c u lt y o f e x p r e s s i o n s t e m s f r o m t h e v e r y f ac tt h a t , a c c o r d i n g t o B u b e r , t h e p r e s e n c e r e v e a l e d i n t h e " w o r l d - o r d e r " c a n o n l yb e a d d r e s s e d , n o t a r t i c u l a t e d . W h a t i s c l ea r , h o w e v e r , is t h a t t h e " w o r l d - o r d e r "s t a n d s i n s h a r p c o n t r a s t t o t h e " o r d e r e d w o r l d . " T h e l a t te r s ig n if ie s t h e p h e -n o m e n a l w o r l d o f c o n d i t i o n a li t y , f r a g m e n t a t i o n , a n d i n d i v id u a t io n ; i n t h isw o r l d t h e r e is s t r u c t u r e a n d c o h e r e n c e b u t n o u n i t y . T h e f o r m e r , o n t h ec o n t r a r y , s i gn i fi es th e n o u m e n a l w o r l d o f u n c o n d i t i o n a l u n i t y . A s o f y et ,h o w e v e r , w e d o n o t g r a s p t h is u n i t y e x c e p t n e g a ti v e ly .
T o u n d e r s t a n d u n i t y po s it iv e ly , w e m u s t f u r t h e r e x a m i n e t h e m o m e n tw h e r e i n t h e " w o r l d - o r d e r " i s d i s cl o s ed . T h i s m o m e n t i s, a t o n c e , a b s o lu t e l y e x -c l u s i v e a n d a b s o l u t e l y i n c l u s i v e . T h a t t h e m o m e n t i s a b s o l u t e l y e x c l u s i v e f o l -l ow s f r o m t h e f a c t t h a t t h e b a s ic m o v e m e n t o f d i a l o g u e is a " t u r n i n g t o w a r d s t h eo t h e r " (Hinwendung) .95 D i a l o g u e is a " r e a l o u t g o i n g t o t h e o t h e r " ( Z u m - A n d e r n -ausgehen), a " r e a c h i n g to t h e o t h e r " (Zum-Andern -ge langen) , a " c o m p a n y i n gw i t h t h e o t h e r " (Beim-Andern-verweilen).96 " T h e g e n u i n e s a yi n g o f ' T h o u ' . . .m e a n s . . , t h e a f f i r m a t i o n o f t h e p r i m a l l y d e e p o t h e r n e s s o f t he .o th e r. "9 7
o, Ibid., 81.9, Ibid., 69.03 Ibid., 89.a 4 I b i d . , s 6 8 .a5 "Dialogue," n BetweenMan and M an, 22.96 Ibid ., ~1.97 "W hat Is Com mo n to All," 96
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U N I T Y I N B U B E R 4 3 9The It that we experience is a thing among things, an object situated
alongside others in a spatial-temporal-causal context. The experience o f the Itis not yet the grasping o f the other in its absolute exclusivity. Such a graspingbelongs to the encounter of the Thou. The Thou cannot be compared, de-fined, analyzed, or measured. In saying Thou one meets the irreducible andultimately inaccessible other. "Th e chief presupposition for the rise of genu-ine dialogue is that each should regard his partner as the very one he is. Ibecome aware of him, aware that he is different, essentially different frommyself, in the definite, unique way which is peculiar to him, and I acceptwhom I thus see, so tha t in full earnestness I can direct what I say to him as theperson he is."98 In the turning towards the othe r one faces the other asothe r- -n ot as a knowable object or subject but as inde penden t subjectivity; indialogue I confirm the otherness of the other. This affirmation of the other inhis uncondi tional otherness is what Buber calls the "personal making present"( p e r s o n a l e V e r g e g e n w S r t i g u n g ) . 9 9 The dialogical situation lives in and throughthe tension of the "personal making present," i.e., of the meeting of two whonevertheless remain other to one another.
The meeting o f the other is thus an event of absolute exclusivity: "Everyactual relationship to another being in the world is exclusive. Its You is freedand steps to confront us in its uniqueness. ''~176his event may be rende red therealization of cosmic unity by which is meant the concentrated turning to-wards the othe r in his absolute otherness. In this turning the other is encoun-tered "cosmically" ( w e l t h a f t ) , i.e., as a cosmic unity: "[M]an encounters beingand becoming as what confronts him--always only one being and every thingonly as a being. What is there reveals itself to him in the occurrence, and whatoccurs there happens to him as being. Nothing else is present but this one, butthis o ne cosmically. ''o~
In the act of meeting, however, another unity is realized. This unity, incontrast to the first, is a unity of absolute inclusiveness. We shall call this unityexistential oneness. ~o~ Before discussing it, however, we must make some pre-liminary remarks concerning the na ture of the self according to Buber.
Not only is the other distinguished in the two basic world-attitudes, so toois the I: the I of the basic word I-It "appears as an ego [ E i g e n w e s e n ] ' ~ and
98 " E l e m e n t s o f th e I n t e r h u m a n , " i n T h e K n o w l e d g e o f M a n , 7 9 .99 Ib id . , 7 8 .~o o I and Thou , 126 ., o, Ib id . , 8 3 .,o , B o t h e x p r e s s i o n s , " c o s m i c " a n d " e x i s te n t ia l " u n i t y , a r e u s e d b y M e n d e s - F l o h r , " F r o mK u i t u r m y s t i k t o D i a l o g u e , " 1 7 7 - 7 8 .~os L i te r a l l y , " o w n - b e i n g " o r " s e l f - b e i n g . " O n t h i s d i f f i c u l t e x p r e s s i o n , s e e t h e e x t e n d e d c o m -
m e n t o f K a u f m a n n , I a n d T h o u , 1 1 1 - 1 2 , n . 7 .
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4 4 ~ J O U R N A L O F T H E H I S T O R Y O F P H I L O S O P H Y 2 7 : 3 J U L Y 1 9 8 9b e c o m e s c o n s c i o u s o f i t s e l f a s a s u b j e c t , " w h e r e a s t h e I o f t h e b a s i c w o r d I -Th ou "appears as a person and becomes conscious of itself as subjectivity."'~While the pe rson "stands in relation" and "participates in actuality," the ego"sets himsel f apart from everything else and tries to possess as much as possi-ble by means of experience and use."'~ Th e I that participates in relation isthe I in its wholeness--t he person; the I that appropriates th rou gh experienceis the I in its parti alnes s--the ego. "T he basic word I-You can only be spokenwith one's whole being. The basic word I-It can never be spoken with one'swhole being. ''~
The "vital primal words" (der vi talen Urworte) of the I-Thou relation aredescribed by Buber as "I-acting-You and You-acting-I" (Ich-wirkend-Du undDu-wirkend-Ich). '07 Such speaking is a "bodily speaking," i.e., a speaking withone's whole being. In the event of relation, "the firmament of the You isspread over me. ',~ Th e I in its entirety is encompassed by the r adian tcountenance of the Thou. The address of the Thou summons me in thewholeness of my being; the response must accordingly be that of the abso-lutely inclusive I. "Whoever commits himself may not hold back part ofhimself."'~ It is thus t hat existential oneness is realized in and through thedialogical moment.
Relation is thus the tur nin g of the absolutely inclusive I- -I and no ot he r- -to the absolutely exclusive other Th ou and no other. Buber writes: "Relationis reciprocity [Gegenseitigkeit]. My You acts on me as I act on it. '''o The dialogi-cal relation is at the same time a dialectical one. That is to say, the Thou ismade present vis-a-vis the I, and I vis-a-vis the Thou. One being-as-a-wholefaces another being-as-a-whole, each affirming the other through the other-ness of their being. As Robert Wood expressed it: "In the I- Tho u relation theundivided self meets the undivided Other . . . . One turns to the Other andstands in a relation o f undivided to undiv ided which constitutes the actualizedrealm of the betwee n."'"
At this ju nc tu re we can clearly articulate Buber's unique contribution tothe philosophic discussion of the problem of unity. The unity of the dialogicalrelation is a unity realized and sustained thro ugh mutuality and difference. Bythe latter we do not intend to impart to Buber any Hegelian notion of unity-
,o4 Ibid., 0 5 I a n d T h o u , 1 1 3 - -1 4 .,06 Ibid . , 54.,07 Ibid . , 73-,o8 Ibid . , 59-,o9 Ibid . , 6o.Ho Ib id . , 67 ." ' W o o d , M a r t i n B u b e r ' s O n t ol o g y, 4 t .
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U N I T Y I N B U B E R 441t h r o u g h - d i f f e r e n c e w h e r e b y o p p o s i te s a r e h e l d t o g e t h e r b y m e a n s o f a s yn -t h e t i c r e s o l u t i o n (Aufhebung), b u t r a t h e r t h a t t h e l i ve d u n i f ic a t i o n o f t h e m e e t -i n g o f I a n d T h o u r e q u i re s t h a t b o t h r e l a ta b e p re s e r v e d i n th e i r p e r s o n h o o d .T h o u g h a b s o l u t e d i s t i n c t n e s s w o u l d m a k e r e l a t i o n as s u c h i m p o s si b le , i t is a ls ot h e c a s e t h a t a b s o l u t e i d e n t i f ic a t i o n w o u l d m a k e i t e q u a l l y i m p o s s ib l e . T oc o n f r o n t t h e o t h e r i n d i a l o g u e is t o c o n f i r m t h e o t h e r a s o t h e r . I n n o u n c e r -t a in t e r m s B u b e r w r it es : " I n g e n u i n e d i a l o g u e th e t u r n i n g t o t h e p a r t n e r t ak e sp l a c e in a ll t r u t h , t h a t i s , i t is a t u r n i n g o f t h e b e i n g . E v e r y s p e a k e r ' m e a n s ' t h ep a r t n e r o r p a r t n e r s t o w h o m h e t u r n s a s th is p e r so n a l e xi st en c e. T o ' m e a n 's o m e o n e i n t h is c o n n e c t i o n is a t t h e s a m e t i m e t o e xe r c is e t h a t d e g r e e o fm a k i n g p r e s e n t w h i c h is p o ss ib le to th e s p e a k e r a t t h a t m o m e n t . . . . h e ( t h es p e a k e r ) r e c ei v es h i m a s h i s p a r t n e r , a n d t h a t m e a n s t h a t h e c o n f i r m s t h iso t h e r b e i n g , s o f a r a s i t is f o r h i m t o c o n f i r m . T h e t r u e t u r n i n g o f hi s p e r s o n t ot h e o t h e r i n c l u d e s t h is c o n f i r m a t i o n , t h is a c c e p t a n c e . ' '" 2
T h e t u r n i n g o f d i a l o g u e, i f it is a g e n u i n e t u r n i n g , c a n o c c u r o n l y b e tw e e nb e i n g s w h o s t a n d a t a d i s t a n c e f r o m o n e a n o t h e r . T o m e e t t h e o t h e r i s t oc o n f r o n t t h e o t h e r , i . e . , t o b e o v e r a g a i n s t (Gegen~ber) t h e o t h e r . T o b e o v e ra g a i n s t th e o t h e r h e r e m e a n s t o f a ce t h e o t h e r , i .e ., t o b e in t h e p r e s e n c e(Gegenwart) o f t h e o t h e r . W h i l e i t is c e r t a in l y th e c a s e t h a t t h e I - T h o u a t t i t u d es e t s t h i s o v e r - a g a i n s t n e s s i n a q u a l i t a t i v e l y d i f f e r e n t r e l a t i o n , t h e f a c t i s t h a tt h e b e i n g - a t - a - d is t a n c e i s n e v e r a b s o l u te l y t r a n s c e n d e d t h r o u g h t h e d i al o g ic a le n c o u n t e r . I n d e e d , i t is p r e c is e l y s u c h a c o n d i t i o n w h i c h r e n d e r s t h e r e l a t io n -s h i p p o ss ib l e. B u b e r d e v e l o p s t h i s t h e m e i n h i s " D i s t a n ce a n d R e l a t i o n "( 1 9 ~ 1 ) : " [ T ] h e p r i n c i p l e o f h u m a n l if e is n o t s i m p l e b u t t w o f o l d , b e i n g b u i lt u pi n a t w o f o l d m o v e m e n t . . . . I p r o p o s e t o c al l t h e fi rs t m o v e m e n t ' t h e p r im a ls e t t i n g a t a d i s t a n c e ' [Urdistanzierung] a n d t h e s e c o n d ' e n t e r i n g i n t o r e l a t i o n '[In-Beziehungtreten]. T h a t t h e f ir st m o v e m e n t i s t h e p r e s u p p o s i t i o n o f t h eo t h e r is p la i n f r o m t h e f a c t t h a t o n e c a n e n t e r i n t o r e l a ti o n o n l y w i t h b e i n gw h i c h h a s b e e n s e t at a d i s t a n c e, m o r e p r e ci s el y , h a s b e c o m e a n i n d e p e n d e n to p p o si te ." H 3 I n t h e e v e n t o f r e l a ti o n , t h e r e f o r e , t w o b e in g s m e e t w h o n e v e r -t h e le s s r e m a i n d i s ti n c t. M e e t i n g (Begegnung) t h e o t h e r is a n e n d u r i n g - a g a i n s t(Gegenwartende) t h e o t h e r . T o b e s u r e , t h e e v e n t o f m e e t i n g , t h e b e in g - w i t ha n o t h e r , is a l w a y s m o r e t h a n b e i n g - a g a in s t . B u t , a s B u b e r h i m s e l f h a s t o ld u s ,t h e e n t e r i n g i n t o r e l a t i o n , a n d , w e m i g h t a d d , t h e s u s t a i n i n g o f t h a t r e l a ti o n ,
~J' "E lements of the Interhuma n," 85. Cf. Philip Wheelw right, "Bub er's Philosophical An-thropology," in The PhilosophyofMartin Buber,69-95. See esp. 75 where the auth or points out thatthis "making present" of the other clearly distinguishes Buber's thoug ht from that o f m ysticism.Th e mystical triving is a striving for unification which often eventuates in the loss of self. Dialogicrelation, on the o ther hand, is possible only through the m eeting of two beings who remainunique and distinct."~ "Distance and Relation," in The K nowledgeof Man, 60 .
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4 4 2 J O U R N A L O F T H E H I S T O R Y O F P H I L O S O P H Y 2 7 : 3 J U L Y I989presupposes thc scttting at a distance: "Only men who arc capable of trulysaying Th ou to one anoth er can truly say Wc with one an other ."The concept of unity in Bubcr's philosophy of dialogue embraces thepardoxical: unity arises in and is sustained through difference. In the "be-tween" opposite beings face one another. In this facing of that which is oppo-site un ion --t hr ou gh relation and not identification--is achieved. Hence, the"between" engenders unity while maintaining difference. That is to say, theunity of relation does not dissolve, but rather preserves the otherncss of theother, for without this otherness no relation is possible. The presence ofrelation is the refo re an abiding o f difference. This is the meaning of Bubcr'sclaim that the "primal setting at a distance" is the presuppositi on of "enterin ginto relation." According to Bubcr, as Emmanuel Levinas put it, "the actwhereby the I withdraws and thus distances itself from the T h o u . . . is thesame act which renders a union with it possible. In effect, there is no unionworthy of the name except in the presence of this sort of otherncss: union,V e r b u n d e n h e i t , is a manif estation of otherness.""4
That unity, for Bubcr, presupposes a "difference" that is never absolutelytranscended in the relation is substantiated furt her by his revised trea tmen t ofthe God-man relation. Revelation, according to Buber's philosophy of dia-logue, is the reciprocal meeting of the eternal Th ou and the finite I. "I- Tho ufinds its highest intensity and transfiguration in religious reality, in whichunlimited Being becomes, as absolute Person, my partncr."'ls Inasmuch asrevelation is dialogical, it follows that it will involve the meet ing o f that whichis mutually exclusive. "Man's 'religious' situation, existence in the presence, ismarked by its essential and indissoluble antinomies. 'H6 That is to say, Godstands over against man, and man over against God; neither partner can bereduced to the other. The one who would affirm only the thesis (the humanpole) and thereby repudiate the antithesis (the divine pole) violates the senseof the situation, whereas one who would think only in terms o f the synthesis(unification of the individual and the Absolute) destroys the sense of thesituation. Th e religious situation is such t hat it must be "lived in all its antino-mies.., without any possibility of anticipation or prescription."H7 "What isdecisive for the genuineness o f religion," therefore, is that "I relate myself tothe divine as to Being which is over against me . . . . Complete inclusion of thedivine in the sphere of the hu ma n self abolishes its divinity. '~8
H4 Cf. E. Levinas,"Martin Buber and the Theory of Knowledge," n The Philosophy of Ma rtinBuber, x41.-5 "Religionand Philosophy," n Eclipse of God (New York: Harper & Row, 195~), 44-45.,,6 I and Thou, 143.,,7 Ibid., 143-44.,,s "Religionand Philosophy,"a8.
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U N I T Y I N B U B E R 4 4 3S u c h c o n s i d e r a t i o n s f o r c e d B u b e r t o a lt e r h is c o n c e p t i o n o f t h e r e a l iz a t io n
o f G o d . T o " r e al iz e G o d " d o e s n o t m e a n t o m a k e G o d r e a l b u t r a t h e r t o" p r e p a r e t h e w o r l d f o r G o d . . . t o m a k e r ea l it y o n e." 1 '9 T h a t G o d is i n d e p e n -d e n t o f m a n is t h e v e r y ba s is o f t h e r e l i g i o u s l if e : " R e l i g i o u s r e a l i t y i s c a l l e dp r e ci s el y th a t b e c a u s e i t c o n s t it u t es a n u n d i m i n i s h e d r e l a t i o n s h i p t o G o d H i m -s elf . M a n d o e s n o t p o s s e s s G o d H i m s e l f , b u t h e e n c o u n t e r s G o d H i m s e l f . '1~~G o d a n d m a n s t a n d i n a r e l a t i o n o f "v is -a -v is ." T h a t G o d b e c o m e s , t h e r e f o r e ,m e a n s o n l y t h a t " t h e u n i t y w i t h o u t m u l t i p l i c i t y . . , d w e ll s i n th e u n i f ic a t io n o fm u l t i p l i c it y . ' '' ~ I n t h i s d w e l l i n g , h o w e v e r , G o d r e m a i n s O t h e r ; i n d e e d , i t i s a st h e O t h e r t h a t G o d c o m e s t o d w e l l i n th e w o r l d , t o a d d r e ss m a n i n th e d i a lo g i-c al m o m e n t .B u b e r ' s r e v i s e d c o n c e p t o f r e a li z a t io n p a r a l l e ls h is r e v i s ed n o t i o n o f Y i h u d ,u n i f ic a t io n . T h e u n i t y o f t h e w o r l d i s n o t a n a b s t r a c t , m a t h e m a t i c a l o n e n e s s . I tis r a t h e r t h e d y n a m i c u n i t y o f d ia l o g u e . T o u n i f
