Peyton Anderson- I vs. Thou Essay

Peyton Anderson- I vs. Thou Essay:

There is a whole different meaning when it comes to I and thou.  I personally started learning about this concept in high school in my AP language class my senior year.  I wasn’t sure what my teacher was talking about when he said that you shouldn’t treat people as means to an end.  But now I have a better understanding of this concept. 

So applied to our class, this is a very interesting topic.  Mostly because it can be applied to just about any subject and be relevant.  For example in the workplace, at home or at school.  But for our purpose we are speaking of this in religious terms.  I really like the quote from this excerpt, “Love is a responsibility of an I for a You.” (66)  This is very relevant to my age group these days.  Some people in relationships don’t understand that it takes 2 to be in a relationship and to meet each other half way.  This quote says that I am responsible for you and that that (I) cares for the (You).  Another quote that applies to this is, “ As soon as the relationship has run it course or is permeated by means, the You becomes an object among objects, possibly the noblest one and yet of them, assigned its measure and boundary.” (68)  Meaning (to me) if something happens in the relationship or the relationship is just over because of “natural causes” that “boundary” he speaks of is to break up.  Some people push past this boundary and want to keep working at the relationship even when it’s long gone. 

Another example of an I thou difference would be the people who work in the dining halls, the library or just about anywhere on campus.  Some people treat them as a means to an end or an it when you should be treating them as a thou, a human being.  Buber states that "The individual You must become It when the event of relation has run its course." (84)  

Not everyone knows how to treat people as a "Thou" I think that's why Buber writes this, to show that people should be treated with respect as a "Thou"/person not just an it.  And that this concept can be applied to any kind of situation from religion to everyday life.