Chapter Three. The Third Mystical Period: "The Conversion"—The Decision On Behalf Of The World
Israel Koren
2010 DOI: 10.1163/ej.9789004181236.i-398.19 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Buber's decision on behalf of the world did not abandon experiential mysticism but subjugated the mystical principle to the concrete realm; the concrete mysticism of Daniel, once joined by the dialogical principle, became "dialogical mysticism." |
Abstract
In this chapter, the author argues that the identification of Buber's decision on behalf of the world with his abandonment of experiential mysticism, and the view that it was this decision that facilitated the emergence of the dialogic principle in his writings a number of years later, has no basis in phenomenological terms. The author believes that Buber's conversion and the appearance of the dialogical principle in his thought at the end of the 1910's did not displace the mystical principle, but subjugated it to the concrete realm, and that it was this, along with the maturing of the dialogical principle, that brought him into practical, concrete life, leading as it did to its fulfillment in the human and societal sphere. The concrete mysticism of Buber's book Daniel became more solidly grounded and, once the dialogical principle was added to it, it became dialogical mysticism.Keywords: Buber; conversion; Daniel; mystical period