Philosophies In Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime And Punishment

For a recent reading assignment our english class was introduced to the master-work that is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Set in 1860s Saint Petersburg Russia, Dostoevsky goes to great lengths to describe his dark and decrepit world in which his characters to inhabit. The events of an axe murder and eventual redemption could have taken place in any setting, but Dostoevsky on the contrary chose this specific time in which to make his commentary on society. Many of the characters of the novel are exaggerations; Furthermore, they are used by the author as instruments of comparing and contrasting philosophies in their most realized forms. Svid, a hedonist and patriarch; Sonia, a devout Christian prostitute; and Raskolnikov, a†¦show more content†¦Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov is a character defined mostly by her faith in Christianity; A meek and submissive woman fit great in stereotyping the traditions of obedience and modestness that women were expected to be s ubservient to in the Faith. In one of the first times the reader is introduced to the character of Sonia, she is describe as this, â€Å"At that moment the door was softly opened, and a young girl walked into the room, looking timidly about her†¦ Now she was a modestly and poorly-dressed young girl, very young, indeed, almost like a child, with a modest and refined manner, with a candid but somewhat frightened-looking face†(Dostoevsky 220). Lastly, Raskolnikov is created to embody utilitarianism and Nietzsches Ubermensch. His inner conflict of weather or not to murder the pawnbroker was eventually persuaded by his reasoning that society would be better without her; That under utilitarianism he determined that her death would bring the most happiness to the most amount of people. It is hard to judge the happiness of a dead person, so this justification could be a little murky on if he truly believes that he was morally right in killing the pawnbroker. When compared to the other two characters he is also the most morally conscious and realistic. He demonstrates his battle with his inner morals often throughout the whole book, but in the first couple pages of theShow MoreRelatedFyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Notes From The Underground, And The Idiot1713 Words   |  7 PagesFyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was a Russian novelist and philosopher best known for his novels Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, Notes F rom the Underground, and The Idiot. He used his works to learn about the social customs and movements of nineteenth-century Russia, and also to explore himself and gain a deeper understanding of his life. Dostoevsky’s personal life experiences and the philosophical movements of his time influenced his works by shaping the subjects he discussed and theRead MoreIrrationality in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment and Shakespeares Macbeth1378 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeares Macbeth and Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment both explore the significant psychological damage caused by their protagonist’s crimes. They both explore varies forms of existential beliefs in tragedies. The existentialist theory explains the idea that man can satisfy his own needs if he has the power to act on his desires, although its against the social ruling. Raskolnikov and Macbeth both have the power to act, but they both face an internally struggle of action and inaction. BothRead MoreThe Ethics Of Care : An Argument Against Mill s Utilitarianism922 Words   |  4 PagesIn Support of Held’s Ethics of Care: An Argument Against Mill’s Utilitarianism in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky This ethics study will define the problem of utilitarianism in the â€Å"ethics of care proposed by Virginia Held (2006) within the literary context of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Held (2006) defines the problem of utilitarian ethics as an abstraction of emotions in moral issues, which alienates the individual in the care process. This method denies the premiseRead More Nature and Nurture in Crime and Punishment Essay1362 Words   |  6 PagesNature and Nurture in Crime and Punishment       In the news today there is an article about a high-school boy who brought guns to school and shot several students. The parents of the victims are suing various computer game companies saying that the violent games present shooting and killing people as pleasurable and fail to portray realistic consequences. A representative of one of the companies released a statement saying that this is another example of individuals seeking to elude responsibilityRead MoreFrankenstein, By Mary Shelley1664 Words   |  7 Pagesanalysis of the main characters and settings of the story, it can be concluded that Mary Shelley’s novel is, above all, about the theme of alienation and the innocent victims that are affected by it, a theme that is also prominent in Fyodor Doestoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. In the book Frankenstein, alienation is something Victor Frankenstein faces through pretty much his entire life. At first he alienates himself due to the creation of a monster, and then out of fear of the monster. During hisRead More The Struggle in Crime and Punishment Essay1524 Words   |  7 PagesThe Struggle in Crime and Punishment Reading this book makes you ill because from the beginning to the end you watch as psychological forces eat away at the thoughts and actions of their victim causing him to finally confess to the hideous crime he has committed. The story is basically the struggle between Raskolnikovs Napoleon-à ¼bermensch theory and his conscience which make him confess to his crime. Dostoevskys genius is in describing how Raskolnikov struggles in his thoughts and actionsRead MoreTheme Of Guilt In Crime And Punishment830 Words   |  4 Pages Guilt is a universal emotion that many feel after crime, wrongdoing or simple acts of unkindness. This is apparent in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, where Rodion Raskolnikov’s growing remorse stems from the mediocrity he realizes in himself after he commits murder to test his Ubermensch-qualities. Rubbishing the thought of confessing and refusing to embrace his guilt, Dostoevsky uses Raskolnikov’s torn thoughts to explore the novel’s theme of revolution: he condemns nihilism as a wayRead MoreEssay about Dostoevsky and Nietzsches Overman2123 Words   |  9 Pagesconsidering that this is a summary of one part of Nietzsches ideas, and that the encyclopedia reduces his entire philosophy to one short paragraph, this is not a poor definition. But it eliminates parts of Nietzsches concept of the overman, or superman, which are essential to an understanding of this idea.    Walter Kaufmann provides a detailed analysis of Nietzsches philosophy in his work Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist, a book which Thomas Mann called a work of great superiorityRead MoreCrime and Punishment: Dostoevskys Portrayal of Anti-Nihilism 1443 Words   |  6 PagesNihilism. According to Whitney Eggers on Philosophies in Crime and Punishment, Nihilists argued that there was a distinction between the weak and the strong, and that in fact the strong had a right to trample over the weak (Eggers). Nihilism is commonly linked to utilitarianism, or the idea that moral decisions should be based on the rule of the greatest happiness for the largest number of people. Raskolnikov, the protagonist in Crime and Punishment, is a Nihilist, which is his main reason forRead MoreFyodor Dostoevsky Crime And Punishment Analysis1214 Words   |  5 Pages Dostoevsky’s disapproval on the Superman theory In the novel â€Å"Crime and Punishment†, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Dostoevsky expresses his disapproval of the Ubermensch theory by using his main character; Raskolnikov who tries to become an extraordinary person but fails to do so. Raskolnikov is put in a group where people maintain the idea that man is not actually equal but are divided into two separate groups which are; the ordinary people who are locked within the laws and tradition of society by only