Karamazov

distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” - Father Zosima. These two quotes voice the polarized philosophies that impregnate the book, The Brothers Karamazov. Ivan, the second of the three sons, and Zosima, the old monk, are huge commentators on the question, “Is the burden of free will to much for a human to bear?” Ivan’s philosophy revolves around the idea that free will, the choice to choose the

before his mother. Usually, the actions hurt only the select individuals who are effected by the sins. However, in Dostoevsky’s novel, The Karamazov Brothers, he gives evidence that all of mankind must accept their guilt to everyone. For, everyone stands responsible for a “grave breach of conduct” in front of all, nature and mankind included. In the Karamazov Brothers, Zosima’s teachings and life etch a deep lesson of what sobornost truly looks like, how to live it out, and the paradise it

The last son of Fyodor Karamazov was a bastard, born from the town’s holy fool. Although it is not entirely known whether Fyodor was the true father of Smerdyakov, he was widely believed to be so. Smerdyakov was raised by Gregory and his wife after his mother died during childbirth and later worked as Fyodor’s personal cook. As a child, Smerdyakov “loved to hang cats and then bury them with great ceremony” (Dostoevsky, 1981). As an adult, he was unsociable, arrogant, and despised everyone. Smerdyakov

The existence of god is a question explored in the novel The Brothers Karamazov by three brothers. Alyosha, a young, devoutly faithful man believes that God exists, and believes deeply in salvation through the forgiveness of sins. Alyosha is almost innocent in his faith, as demonstrated when an elder mentor becomes old and frail. Alyosha observes his lifelong mentor’s body falling apart, and he genuinely believes that a miracle will heal his mentor’s body for being a faithful man. Alyosha becomes

Book five of The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, is an interesting one to say the least. In “Rebellion” and “The Grand Inquisitor,” Dostoevsky could be seen as someone who could possibly be against God. He gives many strong examples of how God is not as good as everyone perceives that figure to be. “It's not God that I don't accept, Alyosha, only I most respectfully return Him the ticket”(269) In chapter five, “The Grand Inquisitor”, Ivan shares a poem with his brother Alyosha about God

to many volatile lengths and magnitudes. In the Book of Job, an innocent and righteous man endures torment passed onto him by God by clinging to his faith and his belief in himself. By contrast, the grand inquisitor in Dostoevsky 's The Brothers Karamazov offers a solution that seeks to overcome the doubt and hardship that afflict mankind by choosing instead to suppress what the inquisitor believes is its cruel source: free will. Both texts oppose each other in their attempt to deal with the problem

In Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, Dmitri is wrongfully accused and then convicted of murdering his father. Dmitri arrives in this situation because he was at his father’s house the night of the murder. Dmitri says himself that if it weren’t for the Griggory seeing him, he would have killed his father. He wanted to kill his father, but he didn’t. Because all the facts and evidence line up against him Dmitri must fight a losing battle in terms of finding justice through the legal system. However

Permission and Punishment In Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, Rakitin responds to a central question throughout the novel, “What is permitted?” when he proudly states to Dmitry that “An intelligent man can do anything he likes as long as he’s clever enough to get away with it” (788). While Rakitin has found his answer to this question, multiple characters in the novel are still stuck on that question. Throughout the novel, Dostoevsky seems to separate these characters into two groups: the characters

Analysis of The Inquisitor's Argument in The Brothers Karamazov      Dostoevsky makes a strong case against Jesus in "The Grand Inquisitor": Jesus did not love humanity sufficiently to care for the greater good of the race.   The majority of people, according to the Grand Inquisitor, are weak and "like sheep." Jesus prized freedom of faith above all else, and because he cared more for that freedom than for the happiness of people, the Grand Inquisitor and the Catholic Church, as led

Theodicy and Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov The problem of reconciling an omnipotent, perfectly just, perfectly benevolent god with a world full of evil and suffering has plagued believers since the beginning of religious thought. Atheists often site this paradox in order to demonstrate that such a god cannot exist and, therefore, that theism is an invalid position. Theodicy is a branch of philosophy that seeks to defend religion by reconciling the supposed existence of an omnipotent