Culture, Religion And Spirituality

Stand with dialogue philosophy and existentialism theology, the thought of Martin Buber concerns about the existence of human being in modern world. This is not only represented in his philosophy of mature hood, but also sprouted from his study in youth time. From college time until the first decade of20th century, Buber was involved in Zionism, and interpreted Hasidism and Daoism. Through these three activities, this article attempts to probe into Martin Buber’s concern about the existence of human being in modem world, and unfold the connection between the thinking in early time and dialogue philosophy.As a student, Buber despaired of the inescapable solitude and alienation of human being in modern world. On the other side, he also acquired a kind of Dionysius enthusiasm from Nietzsche. Meanwhile, under the impact of two teachers in Berlin University, Simmel and Dilthey, Buber crossed over the enthusiasm and began to think about the existence of human being in constructive way. In the sociology of Simmel, Buber found the key point to understand society, the interhuman relationship as a priori structure of society. In the philosophy of Dilthey, Buber acquired a new way to realize the world, Erlebnis, and also a new methodology, Hermeneutic. Based on all these resources of thought, Buber as a college student illuminated his imagination of society in future, in his address about "New Community" and dissertation for doctorate. In Buber’s ideal society, every human being would be united with the world, the others, and the scared. The enthusiasm and thinking in college time were deepened in the thought of Buber afterward. In the early time of20th century, Buber was involved in Zionism, interpreted Hasidism and translated Daoism. In these three activities, Buber illustrated a new existence of human being in modern world from three respects, that is culture, religion and oriental spirituality, which represented three meanings, the harmony between human being and society, the communication between human being and God, the unity between human being and world.In Hasidism, Buber found an original religious spirituality. Buber summarized four characters in the life of great Hasidism master, which are Hitlahavut, Avodah, Kavanah and Shiflut. Hitlahavut symbolizes a joyful, ecstatic and vigorous life; Avodah and Kavanah establish a communication between daily life and the scared, which lets the individual life is possible to be hollowed and elevated; Shiflut represents the unique of individuation and the responsibility for others. According to Buber, the spirituality represented by these four characters provides a new way of life, in which the existence of human being would overcome the crisis of alienation and separation, and realize the connection between human being and the scared. Through this connection, Buber’s Hasidism interpretation transformed the solitude of human being to point at the scared. So religion comes back to the existence of human being by way of religiousness.According Buber’s view, Zionism is a movement for self-realization of each Jew, and self-regeneration of Jewish people. So he was against the political Zionism, and also not completely agreed with rationalistic culture Zionism. He argued to cultivate a kind of creative Jewish culture, grounded on Jewish art and Jewish education, in order to realize the regeneration of Jewish people and renaissance of Jewish spirituality. The ideal Jewish country of Buber represents a renaissance of Jewish spirituality in long history, in which Jews will get a full free. In the ideal country, there would be a reciprocal relationship and harmony between individual and society. But this ideal was defeated by the real Fin-de-siecle politics in Europe. In1904, because of the disappointment to Zionism, Buber turn around to Hasidism. In Daoism, Buber found the oriental spirituality distinguished from science and law in western culture, which is the teaching of Dao. Due to the unity of Dao, the world is united into one. Tying to the not-knowing and non-action, perfect man could realize the unity of Dao in his daily life, which means to merge into the unity of Dao and world. So the separation would be overcome, and the existence of individuation would get off the complexity of individual world. Buber regarded the teaching of Dao offered a mirror for the western world in the end of century, a kind of unity between human being and Dao, world.In his view of Zionism, Buber depicted a ideal society for human being; in Hasidism, Buber found a religious spirituality to hollow daily life; in Daoism, recognized the unity between human being and world. All these three respects consist of Buber’s thinking about the existence of human being in modern world in youth.