We live in the age of postmodernism, but since the modern period, the time of the
Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, human has been put in the centre of our views.
Our focus is primarily on this world and a human in it. Everything is subjected to a human,
a human is (or wants to be) the measure of everything. The problem of anthropocentrism
is manifested primarily in the fact that a human, as a subject, not only wants to subordinate
objects but also other subjects. Thus, the modern emancipation of the subject led to extreme
individualism, to the uncompromising assertion of the individual’s personal aspirations
and interests, regardless of the common good, the common good of a particular community
or the whole of humanity. The modern economic, ecological, cultural, social and societal crisis
is one of the signs showing the crisis of a human, of the crisis in which a human has found
himself as a subject. Therefore, a new definition of a human is needed, a definition that will
transcend the narrow subjectivist paradigm and point to a human’s integrity and ethos.
The article outlines the basic features of anthropocentrism and, in the second part, presents
a new, comprehensive conception of a human as represented by a personalist philosophy,
mainly through an analysis of the works of philosopher Martin Buber (Das dialogische
Prinzip and Das Problem des Menschen). Personalism treats a human as »a whole« in all its
dimensions and transcends a narrow and impoverished subjectivist conception. Namely,
the impoverished image of a man prevents dialogue and the harmonious coexistence of diversity and divergence. The original contribution of the discussion is in the attempt to find
the possibility of dialogue, as reflected in personalist philosophy, especially in the thoughts
of Martin Buber and his conception of between (das Zwischen). Buber, a Jewish philosopher,
introduces new views on human in his social and personal, moral and religious dimensions
through his unique philosophy. Thus, »between« is shown as a fundamental fact of a human,
as the realm of the human’s birth and life in all its authenticity. The article aims to show the
inadequacy of a human’s anthropocentric conception which leads to alienation, to the existential crisis, the crisis of human relations, and, subsequently, general cultural and social
crisis. The article’s basic thesis is in the fundamental idea of the new view on a human, given
by personalist philosophy, especially Buber’s thoughts, where humanity could be lived only
in relation to others and »between« is shown as a possibility and foundation of the dialogue.
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