19th Century Theories in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment Essay

19th Century Theories in Dostoevskys nuisance and penalisation I teach you the Super hu populaceness. piece beings is something that has to be authoriseed. What bewilder you dvirtuoso to surpass him? These words said by Friedrich Nietzsche compass the theories present in Dostoevskys nineteenth carbon un cased, iniquity and Punish ment. Fyodor Dostoevsky, living a smell of distraint himself, created the character of Raskolnikov with the preconceptions of his admit sorrowful and struggling life. Throughout his expatriation in Siberia from 1849-1859, his sen clipnts of anguish, sorrow, and the prevalent man sur flavourd and heightened, en livelyn him to begin writing criminal offence and Punishment in 1859.The main motif in this new is that of paroxysm. It is app argonnt that each(prenominal) characters, study and minor, experience some sort of inside or external affliction. The over completely infrastructure of the work is that tot eithery mortal men suffer, and that salvation just nowtocks non be obtained unless this anguish is present. Dostoevskys protagonist, Raskolnikov, essentialiness transmutation and realize this position to overcome his conflicts and turn the salvation of peace and tranquillity. Volumes and volumes of critique git be written on where this suffering line of crusadeingated, further Dostoevskys main meanness and focus is non where, except why suffering moldiness exist and how this suffering provide be overcome.See more First Poem for You EssayThis is seen from the fact that by direction ofout the six sections of the novel, further one section is foc customd on the origin of the torment the Crime, and the remaining five sections are concentrated on Raskolnikovs mode to overcoming this anguish the Punishment. By focusing altogether on the punishment, the internal and external conflicts that abstract within the novel do non further provide Raskolnikovs avow philosophy of the path toward salvation, nevertheless encompasses that of the German philosopher Nietzsche, as well as his contemporaries. Raskolnikovs justifications for his actions are relayed in his own terrible Man Theory, which states that there are two classifications of men in the world ordinary, and extraordinary.He wanted move up that he was extraordinary, that he could commit a abuse as horrid as murder, but because he did it for the betterment of company, he would feel no sympathy or regret for his justify actions. In following Raskolnikovs system, it becomes manifest from where his conceptions originate. though the whole work encompasses the philosophies of all the nineteenth century idealogues, Raskolnikovs ideas eng nullifyer from that of Friedrich Nietzsche and Georg Wilhelm Hegel.Since it has already been established that the entire novel contains theories of its era, to begin an analysis in bet to the novels main ideas evolving from the concepts of simply Nietzsche or Hegel would, i n a management, discredit the importance of the remaining non-Hegelian nineteenth century philosophers. By analyzing the ideologies of the major idealogues from Father to bollock (Kierkegaard to Freud) with delight in to Crime and Punishment, Dostoevskys intentions, motifs, and ideas can be interpreted with ease. Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) believed that the true is some(prenominal)(prenominal) power and suffering.He is often storied as the Father of Existentialism, an innovated modern effect that life has no meaning, and that we must live life just for the sake of living, and nought else. To know the truth about life and the man-to-mans living it would be a determine of powerful knowledge incomprehensible to man. The truth is Life is suffering. Kierkegaard believed that man was blessed with the superior gift of all free will, but this free will creates ends, and decisions generate emotions.Emotions are the key to the suffering of man. Happiness creates a fear in losing prosperity, fear leads to ira toward lifes unjust ways, enkindle leads to plague of life in general, and hatred leads to the suffering of the person mind. This is the path of the public man, the man who thinks that life can be blissful. The existential man believes that life has no meaning, no substance, and no path for happiness. He is the man who knows and accepts that all things, reasoned and dark, exist, including suffering.This is why the existential man is indifferent toward the bene look intos and consequences of life. Raskolnikov believes that The terrific Man feels no suffering and no fuss. He is the man who can break the laws, transgress the laws, and make the laws. Raskolnikov believed that if he were extraordinary, he could commit any crime, even the crime of murder, and walk away from it indifferent, apathetic, and without emotion.What he did non realize was the main point of Kierkegaards philosophy, that no matter what man suffers. Raskolnikov persuas ion that he could debar the truth and fend off suffering. It is non until he confesses to both Porfiry and Sonia, which coincidentally is the same instant that his own disorder begins to vanquish, that he fully understands and believes in the suffering of man.Georg Wilhelm Hegel (1770-1831), a nonher prominent philosopher of the nineteenth century, hypothesized a dialectic holy order for the analysis and recognition of history. He believed that all events in time move in a teleological fashion contrary to the popular judgement of a circular path. Hegel stated that history, quite an than repeating itself, learns and moves forward toward a purpose.In his theory this purpose is the freedom of all men in a reasonable state, and moving toward such a ripe purpose justifies all good and sinfulness events in history. The dialectic method as well as consisted of a diagram regarding this teleological path. Hegel believed that history is made up of a serial of events all corre sponding to a thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. The thesis and antithesis military service as the conflict in history, sequence the synthesis becomes the head.In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov is the thesis, the symbol of good intentions, while Svidrigailov is the antithesis, the simulacrum and reality of evil and suffering. With the battle of good and evil comes salvation, or the synthesis, in this compositors case Sonia, the representation and key to Raskolnikovs salvation. This method can also be viewed in the perspective of Dostoevskys primary concentrations. With that respect the crime can be viewed as the symbol of good intentions. Raskolnikov killed Alyona because she represented the evil in society. Because her death would be a blessing and benefit to the world he believed his crime would be reassert.The punishment can be viewed as the reality of suffering. It is non until after he commits the crime that Raskolnikov realizes that all men in fact do suffer. The k ey is to overcome this suffering sooner of turn awaying it. The salvation can be viewed as the redemption and end to suffering the result of the crime and of the punishment. This analysis also maps Hegels teleological perspective because the novel moves in a linear fashion. The Crime (thesis) encompasses sectionalization I of the novel, the Punishment (antithesis) is demonstrated in Parts II-VI, and the salvation (synthesis) is introduced in the epilogue. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844- 1900) did not believe in the suffering of all men.He believed that there existed a superman, a powerful individual that lived for self-gratification and vigor else. The Nietzschean superman asserts his own power to situations while he watches the common and ordinary man suffer because of lifes imperfections. This man makes no justification in his actions, because as long as he has satisfied himself, then his dominance over others requires no reason. Nietzsche also believed that in order to become a superman, an individual must surpass the common man.He must have no qualms or fall in his actions, and above all, he must not fear his actions or consequences. idolatry is the mother of morality, it is an emotion solo cognize to ordinary men. A superman has no fear. Perhaps the character of Svidrigailov emits the best example of a Nietzschean superman in the novel. He is the epitome of evil and lives only when for self-gratification. His haste to his superman visage is suicide. Death is the escape valve to suffering. Svidrigailov feared its company, and in turn, took his own life to avoid it. Raskolnikov on the other hand, did not avoid suffering he conquered it.Though in advance his crime he did ask the Hegelian question of Will this crime serve a noble purpose, he also asks the Nietzschean question of Do I defy commit this murder and therefore prove myself to be a man by proving that my will is strong? It is after this that he commits the crime and begins to endure this suffering. Unlike his rival, Svidrigailov, Raskolnikov overcomes his pain finished salvation with the help of Sonia, ends his isolation, and returns to the humankind of society.Karl Marx (1818-1883) believed that society was the root of suffering. His common man, the proletarian, struggled because of the private-enterprise(prenominal) bourgeoisie. He believed that the proletariat goes through motley stages of development. The first stage is the struggle against the bourgeois, which posterior turns to suffering.Through the growth of the masses, the final stages of the common man of attitude and victory evolve. The death and path of the Marxist man is to step up from being a mere trade good of society into being a original and active fraction of it. The strength that allows him to do this is the realization that he is suffering because he lives for others, and his victory is obtained by overcoming this anguish through the link up of the proletariat.Though Raskolnikov doe s not face the same pain of worthlessness as the proletariat, he develops in the same fashion. He struggles against his inner emotions of reason and morality, and suffers because of it. Though Sonia and Porfiry pass on to his salvation, it is Raskolnikov himself that overcomes his emotions. He does not need the bond of the masses to aid him in his option and path toward salvation he only needs the bond of his inner intelligent and emotion states. This is why Raskolnikov becomes. In 1859 the theorist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) published a controversial hold of survival of the fittest entitled The Origin of Species.In this work Darwin established that an organisms ontogenesis or devolution in life is representative of their ability to conform, adjust, and work within the harshness of its environment. This theory of survival of the fittest, later became the coined theme of neighborly Darwinism. Social Darwinism believes that man bring throughs and prospers in nature because h e is the organism that is fit enough to do so. In a battle amongst man verses nature, and even man versus society, only the strong shall survive, while the weak will parish.Faith and belief no longstanding have any bearing on the members of tomorrows society, only strength.  his theory is presented many times in Crime and Punishment. Alyona and Lizaveta both perish because they are not capable of defeating Raskolnikov. Alyona also did not survive because Raskolnikovs beliefs were stronger than her will and intentions. Svidrigailov cannot conquer the constraints society has placed upon him, and in turn, he commits suicide. The only exception to this theory is Raskolnikov. His inner strength of intelligence may be strong, but his physical and emotional abilities do not coincide with Darwins notion of fit. Raskolnikovs survival is from his redemption.He reaches salvation because he chooses to, and therefore he survives because he chooses to. He does this through his own realizati on and lucidization. The psychologist and theorist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) believed that an individuals decisions are not always determined by the demythologized state of mind. He believed that all adult male possess three distinct decision making chambers of human behavior. He refers to the first of these as the id. The id is the childhood and instinctual need of the individual. This is the sector that satisfies an individuals wants and desires, accomplishing them at no fear of risk.The second service of process of human behavior is referred to as the swelled head. The ego is the rationalist, the sector that makes decisions that benefit the individual and society. Freud believed that the bulk of all individuals make decisions found on their ego. The final and third division of an individuals behavior is called the superego. The superego is the ideal individual. This individual makes decisions that should be made he does things the way they should be done in his opinion, and no matter what the results may be, has no reason for regret.Though most of the characters in the novel make decisions based upon their ego, it is evident and unvarnished that Raskolnikov does not. He knows what he believes to be right wing and wrong, and tries to right the wrongs in society with his superego. Though he is the only one to use his superego, all of the other Freudian sections of human decisions exist in the work. Throughout the novel, Svidrigailov uses his id. His encounters with women, prosperity, and spate are not prolific because he deserves them, but because he wants them. It is his id that leads him to his desire for an end to suffering, and his death near the end of the novel. Sonia and Dounia both rationalize their actions through their ego.Though Sonia does not and should not be a prostitute, she knows that it is the only way for her family to survive. Dounia is in a correspondent predicament. She did not wish to marry Luzhin, but his wealth and proposal to help Raskolnikov rationalized her to stay. Later, her ego permits her to marry Razumihin for his compassion, admiration, and companionship. This use of the id, ego, and superego supply a Freudian element to Dostoevskys work. With all of these theories analyzed, computed, and settled, we can end this critique where we began I teach you the daemon. Man is something that has to be surpassed.What have you done to surpass him? Is Raskolnikov a Superman? Well, he follows Kierkegaards existential bid of I believe, therefore I am, which means that he surpasses the common man who but thinks. Through the ideas of Hegel, his teleological movements from crime to punishment all serve a justified purpose in benefiting his moral and rational states. He overcomes the common man through the salvation he obtains from this linear evolution of trials. He suffers not from Marxist classes, but from internal struggle, excluding him as a member of the proletariat, or common man.Though not physically or emotionally fit to survive, his confession becomes his salvation, his survival, and his disclaimer in the Darwin theory of surviving. The common man may survive because he is fit to survive, but Raskolnikov survives because he chooses to survive. Unlike Freuds theory that the casual man lives his life through his ego, Raskolnikov makes his decisions based on his superego, doing things not just because it would be rational, but because that it the way it should be done. So then, Is Raskolnikov a Superman? Yes.