In Martin Buber’s I-it/I-you typology, what would a relationship to a mathematical idea like “aperiodic tiling” be? It’s not really either an object or a person though it can be integrated into both object relations (tile design) or personal relationships (nerd out together).

I think it’s a third type: I-noo

Blogger at ribbonfarm.com, running summerofprotocols.com, host of /gloom ☀️

I-noo (for noosphere) is for relationships to abstractions that are clearly not solipsisms. Have a favorite prime number? That’s an I-noo. Love the Mandelbrot set? I noo 

But it has to be relating t the concept not specific embodiments like a poster of the Mandelbrot set or a set of 3d printed hat tiles

What say you @mtraven now that you’re here? I was going to ping you with this question

I don’t really think this maps very well. I-it/I-Thou is a frame primarily about interpersonal relationships (where the I-it illuminates the potential of reducing the encounter to a transaction)