The significance of Martin Buber\u27s I-thou philosophy for communication theory

In a review of literature, it is clear that the significance of Martin Buber’s philosophy of dialogue, or I-Thou philosophy, has been recognized by scholars in related disciplines. It also appears that no in-depth study has been done to discover the significance of Martin Buber’s I-Thou philosophy for communication theory. In order to determine this significance the author proposes to: (1) Examine the efforts of communication scholars as they have attempted to establish the significance of Martin Bubder’s I-Thou philosophy for communication theory.; (2) Present an analysis of Martin Buber’s concept of relation.; (3) Present an analysis of Martin buber’s concept of dialogue.; and (4) Propose a definition of interpersonal communication based upon Martin Buber’s I-Thou philosophy of dialogical relation. Communication scholars are greatly hindered in their research of the I-Thou philosophy by the limited scholarship that has been done on Buber’s writings. To this point in time, research continues without an in-depth guide to the relationship of this philosophy to communication theory