I and Thou

The individual finds their place within a culture, and that culture progressively expands its experiences in the realms of It (and not Thou). As time passes and cultures grow and extend, their experience grows along with it; in this way, “the world of objects in every culture is more extensive than that of its predecessor” (35). What connects the human person to the world of the It are the activities of experiencing and of using, both of which allow the person to make progress at the natural and biological level.

Above the biological lies the spiritual: “SPIRIT IN ITS HUMAN MANIFESTATION is a response of man to his Thou” (36). Within the life of the spirit is the ability to speak and communicate with words and language. Speech is unique because it is not something that human beings produce, but is something in which human beings exist: “[I]n actuality speech does not abide in man, but man takes his stand in speech and talks from there” (36). The life of the spirit exists “between I and Thou” (36). Silence in the presence of the Thou is the proper response, as language can be a tool used to try and manipulate and control the Thou, which would then turn the Thou into an It.