Where do Babies Come From? The Implicit Developmental Approach in I and Thou

Despite his anti-Freudian stance, Martin Buber (1878-1965) was warmly embraced by large circles of psychologists and psychiatrists. In some areas pertaining to psychology Buber explicitly outlined his views (i.e. "guilt and guilt-feeling"). Other areas, including the realm of child development, won Buber`s attention but did not get separate publications, hence are less known. The current presentation attempts to formulate Buber`s developmental thought as it appears in his 1923 monograph "I and Thou".

Contrary to modern approaches of child development, emphasizing the well-ordered accumulation of abilities, Buber draws a process of diminution, where maturation inevitably results in dilution of relations. Buber`s infant moves from a state of pure relatedness (all encompassing You followed by I-You relations) to the impoverished status of "subject that experiences and uses objects" (I-It relations).

Based on the Jewish myth "that in his mother`s womb man knows the universe and forgets it at birth", Buber emphasizes the role of prenatal life. The "pure natural association" of this primordial state imprints the developing human being not only with never-ending longing for relations but also with the energy and know-how for attaining it.

Naïve, romantic, and non-scientific as it may be, Buber`s developmental approach can be relevant for scholars of dialogical philosophy, as well as for anyone involved in child well being: parents, professionals and policy makers.