Q0358
“Man becomes an I through a You.” — Martin Buber (I and Thou)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: I and Thou. Theme: self.
English
Man becomes an I through a You.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to I and Thou and files it under Dialogical Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Martin Buber
Martin Buber (1878–1965) was an Austrian-Jewish philosopher and theologian best known for I and Thou (1923). Active in Zionist cultural politics, Hasidic storytelling, and Bible translation with Franz Rosenzweig, he later taught at Hebrew University.
Interpretation
Buber is making a genetic claim: the self is not prior to relation but formed in it. In I and Thou he argues that the "I" arises only in address — one becomes a subject by being addressed by another as a subject. This reverses the usual order, in which a person first exists and then enters into relationships. The claim is that what we call a self is a product of relation rather than its precondition, which is why isolation diminishes it.
Why it matters
It suggests that who you are is partly an effect of how you have been met — which makes the company you keep a question about character rather than comfort.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Otherness
- Otherness appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat otherness as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Relation
- Relation appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat relation as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Martin Buber. (n.d.). Man becomes an I through a You. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0358
MLA: Martin Buber. “Man becomes an I through a You..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0358.
Chicago: Martin Buber. “Man becomes an I through a You..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0358.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Man becomes an I through a You.”?
The passage is attributed to Martin Buber, I and Thou. The archive attributes this English wording to I and Thou and files it under Dialogical Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Martin Buber mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, otherness, relation.