OPENNESS AS THE KEY TO A PEACE-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ‘I’ AND THE ‘THOU’ IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ROBERT HILLARY KANE

Abstract

The understanding of the ‘I-Thou’ relationship is the recognition that there is a relation between one and another in the world of human being. Each individual is an entity that carries a great deal of dignity and the good appropriation of this dignity fosters a great interpersonal relationship. For there to be any peace-relation among beings, a way to human enquiry and understanding of common good and advancement, there is a need for unbiasness. In Robert Kane’s view, it is through a positive I-Thou peace-relation which is achievable through ‘openness’ that human beings sustain the moral sphere, and avoid breaking it. It will help them to arrive at truth and a way forward to any debatable issue among human beings. Openness is a form of respect for another even in the face of divided or different opinions. Hence, in any deliberation of any sort, one has to take the part of Openness by limiting narrowness of vision and choose to respect every other point of view and way of life. This will help to foster the ideal I-Thou or inter-human beings’ peace-relation in the face of obstacles and conflicts. However, he seems to take for granted the uniqueness or difference in human thinking patterns and so he creates back the problem which he sets out to resolve by not giving a stand on what truth is and how human beings can get to it when openness fails. Adopting expository and analytic methods, the research argues that Kane’s idea of Openness appears to be a solution to sustain harmony among human beings.