Crime and Punishment Introductory Notes

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky 1821 – 1881 Mother died when he was an adolescent Trained and worked as an engineer Served four years’ hard labor in Siberia for involvement in the Petrashevsky Circle Diagnosed with epilepsy Developed a gambling addiction and struggled with financial difficulties Died of a hemorrhage

The Petrashevsky Circle a literary discussion group comprised of commoner-intellectuals interested in Western philosophy and literature (such works were banned by Nicholas I, who feared a revolution); above: a ritualized mock execution of PC members

Dostoyevsky’s Politics Although many PC members were anti-tsarist, D. wasn’t Critical of serfdom, but didn’t embrace democracy Sought social change that would unify peasantry and aristocracy "For the people, the tsar is not an external power, not the power of some conqueror... but a power of all the people, an all-unifiying power the people themselves desired.” “If everyone were actively Christian, not a single social question would come up... If they were Christians they would settle everything.”

Ubermensch: Extraordinary Man Hegelian Superman Noble purpose; remove harmful segments of society If the ends are noble, then the means can be justified One small crime can be wiped out by thousands of good deeds Stands above the ordinary man, but works for the benefit of all mankind Nietzschean Superman

To what extent is Dostoyevsky exploring, contrasting, or even parodying Hegel and Nietzsche?

Russian Names Rodion* (first name) Romanovitch (son of Roman) Raskolnikov (family name) *Rodya, Rodenka, Rodka (diminutives of Rodion; used by relatives and friends) -ovich -evich -ick -ych = son of -ovna -evna = daughter of