76 JOSEPH MARTIN M. JOSE  Volume 19, 1:2018 A CRITIQUE OF DREYFUS’S KIERKEGAARDIAN ANALYSIS OF THE INTERNET Joseph Martin M. Jose De La Salle University, Manila In this paper, I will argue that embodied presence and ultimate commitments are not necessary for the authenticity of online relationships. In the first section, I will present Hubert Dreyfus’s Kierkegaardian analysis of the Internet. In the second, I will show the different positions that disagree with Dreyfus. And finally, in the third, I will look into (1) the distinction between human to human and human to nonhuman online interactions, (2) the continuity or discontinuity of the online and the offline relationships of persons, and (3) the forms of the relationship that occurred. From that analysis, I will derive some cases that will show the inadequacies and problems of the conditions presented by Dreyfus. INTRODUCTION From the very beginning of life, every individual will always see oneself in relationships with others. Indeed, a relational character is intrinsic in the existence of human beings. Florentino Timbreza (2008, 65) expounds on this in saying, Man is essentially a community, “a community of persons in relation,” and he exists meaningfully only insofar as a genuine community or a togetherness is not a dream but a concrete reality. He is essentially with others, and he can become truly himself only if he recognizes that others also exist and allows their existence to influence his life and actions. Man, in short, is being-with-others. And, in the process of relating to the other, one does not simply aim to establish a certain connection or a mere network. Rather, as Lori Wagner (2015, 115) says, “...we are, it appears…seek intimate participation and companionship with our fellows” and it always involves participation “to see with the eyes of another, to hear with the ears of another, to feel with the heart of another.” Further, relating to other people also involves self-reflection and self-knowledge. The process of building relationships is an opportunity to reflect and know oneself deeper. It is in the profundity and depth of our relationships that we will be able to examine our lives.