Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote Notes from Underground in 1864 which is considered to be one of the first existentialist works, emphasising the importance of freedom, responsibility and individuality. It is an extraordinary piece of literature, social critique and satire of the Russian nihilist movement as well as a novel with deep psychological insights onContinue reading “The Underground Man – Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Warning to the World “
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Book Review: The Dream of a Ridiculous Man – Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is a short story published in 1877 by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The book is subtitled as “A Fantastic Story”, since it is essentially a tale of the imagination. According to Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is “practically a complete encyclopedia of Dostoevsky’s most important themes”.Continue reading “Book Review: The Dream of a Ridiculous Man – Fyodor Dostoevsky”
Dostoevsky’s Raskolnikov and Nietzsche’s Übermensch
The frequent mention of Nietzsche and Dostoevsky together is still topical for the very reason that both of them were among the acutest anatomists of our cultural, social and moral crisis, the symptoms of which were already so prominent at the turn of the nineteenth century. It was a flourishing period for the creative powersContinue reading “Dostoevsky’s Raskolnikov and Nietzsche’s Übermensch”
The Absurd – Camus, Kierkegaard & Dostoevsky | Existentialism
Albert Camus’ views contributed to the rise of the philosophy known as Absurdism, he defines the Absurd “as the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life, and the human inability to find any meaning in a purposeless, meaningless, and irrational universe, with the ‘unreasonable silence’ of the universe inContinue reading “The Absurd – Camus, Kierkegaard & Dostoevsky | Existentialism”
An Introduction to Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky (pronounced dos-toy-ev-ski) is most popularly known as a Russian novelist as well as a philosopher. His works explore human psychology in the troubled socio-political atmosphere of 19th century Russia. His novels had a great impact on psychology, the study of how the human mind works, especially of people who lose their reason, whoContinue reading “An Introduction to Fyodor Dostoevsky”
Book Review: Notes from the Underground – Fyodor Dostoevsky
Notes from the Underground is a novel published by Dostoevsky in 1864. It remains as one of the most important works of existentialist literature. In this work Dostoevsky attempts to justify the existence of individual freedom as a necessary part of humankind. The novel consists of two parts. The first one, titled simply “Underground” isContinue reading “Book Review: Notes from the Underground – Fyodor Dostoevsky”
Book Review: Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky
Crime and Punishment remains the single most widely known Russian novel as well as one of the greatest works in world literature. It is first and foremost a fascinating detective novel, but one in which we know from the very beginning who committed the heinous crime. It focuses on the mental anguish and moral dilemmasContinue reading “Book Review: Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky”