Name: MILENA SCABELLO SANTOS
Publication date: 18/12/2025
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| MARCELO MARTINS BARREIRA | Presidente |
| MARIA BETÂNIA DO NASCIMENTO SANTIAGO | Examinador Externo |
| MARIA CRISTINA LONGO CARDOSO DIAS | Examinador Interno |
Summary: This dissertation explores the notion of the inter-human as a fundamental ethical and ontological
principle in Martin Buber’s dialogical philosophy, linking this category to the proposal of a
communitas communitatum. Following a hermeneutical approach and a conceptual analysis of
the works I and Thou, On Community, Utopian Socialism, and Between Man and Man, the
research examines the influence of Hasidism on the development of Buber’s thought,
demonstrating how this mystical movement provided the spiritual and ethical foundations for
his conception of the I-Thou relation and for his critique of technocratic and instrumentalized
modern society. The results show that the inter-human constitutes a solid ontological and ethical
basis for overcoming centralized forms of social organization, integrating spirituality, dialogue,
and social critique within an existential framework of transformation. The distinction between
I-Thou and I-It relations proved decisive for understanding the ethical obstacles of modernity,
revealing that the predominance of objectified relations leads to fragmentation and isolation,
whereas the I-Thou relation grounds an ethics of responsibility and recognition. The symbolic
image of the communitas communitatum synthesizes these elements by proposing a
decentralized social model based on dialogue, listening, and inter-human responsibility, whose
contemporary relevance was illustrated through the study of Brazilian ecovillages. Thus, it is
concluded that Martin Buber’s dialogical philosophy offers an existential and ethical alternative
for the rehumanization of relationships and for the communal reconstruction in the face of
modern challenges.
