The 'central person' in Martin Buber's political theory

This dissertation argues that Martin Buber's social and political thought is best understood as an extension of his attempt to transform his notion of a mythical "central person" into an actual "living, active, center of community." It is further argued that the creation of social conditions conducive to the emergence of such living, "dialogical," persons is the ultimate goal of Buber's theory of community.; This study also submits that myths and symbols are Buber's primary vehicles for presenting his alternative theory of politics and community. This is an indirect form of communication; by revising the meaning and significance of existing myths, Buber hopes to utilize myths to present a conception of the person and of community that would serve as an alternative to existing perceptions of the meaning and purpose of human life in society. This reading of Buber's work suggests that he may be best described as a political thinker whose primary vocation is the creation of social and political symbols and images. This vocation is reflected in Buber's consistent efforts to present modern societies with a "universally-valid image of the person." The images include a variety of forms: the 'builder' of I and Thou (philosophy), the 'revolutionary' of Paths in Utopia (political theory) and the 'halutz' of Zionist socialism (political practice). These are secular corollaries of two images Buber encountered in the Jewish religious sources: the prophet of the Bible and of the tsadik of hasidism.; The study also points to the impact of Buber's mythical mode of theorizing on his political theory and practice, especially in relation to his positions on the Jewish-Arab conflict.