Date of Award

12-1-1974

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

Abstract

Martin Buber preferred to be known as a philosophical anthropologist rather than a philosopher, theologian, or teacher. Any of these titles are properly used since the scope of his writings contribute significantly to each of these fields.

It is the purpose of this paper to show that what he had to say concerning the Ontology of Evil is significant in the study of educational theory and that his own educational philosophy was influenced by his presuppositions concerning the nature of evil.

Chapter II is devoted to the literature relating to the basic elements of this study: the problem of evil, evil and the individual, evil and the community, and educational theory. Only that literature touching the philosophy of Buber in the specified areas has been selected.

The study is developed in Chapter III by setting forth Buber's concept of the problem of evil as it relates to the individual and the community.

The goal of education for Buber was to bring the individual into a state of true humanity. This goal is to be reached by traveling a path in which the nature of the goal is evident, the path of communion.

True human relationships transform evil because relationship takes place in the spirit, in the realm of the "between. " When properly extended, such relationship leads one to the eternal Thou which is the proper aim of all education, for it is the proper goal of the lived life.

Share

COinS