The meaning of Raskolnikov's theory and the reasons for its collapse. The main character of the novel Crime and Punishment, poor student Rodion Raskolnikov, is convinced that the entire human race is divided into two unequal parts. The meaning of Raskolnikov’s theory and the reasons for its collapse in his article, written six months before the crime, he says that “people, according to the law of nature, are divided into two categories: the lower (ordinary), so to speak, the material that serves solely for the generation of similar, and on people themselves, that is, those who have the gift or talent to say a new word in their midst.” The meaning of the division into two categories is the assertion of the “right of the strong” to break the law and commit crimes. Raskolnikov speaks of loners who rise above the crowd: this is “a superman who lives according to the law given to himself. If, for his idea, he needs to step over even a corpse, over blood, then within himself, in conscience, he can, in my opinion, give himself permission to step over blood.”

Raskolnikov undertakes to prove in practice that he is an extraordinary person. He carefully considers and carries out a terrible plan: he kills and robs the old, stingy and insignificant pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna. True, at the same time, her quiet, meek sister Lizaveta, who did not harm anyone, also accepts death. Raskolnikov failed to reap the benefits of his crime; his conscience tormented him. But he himself believes in his theory even when he goes to confess to the murder, believing that it was he himself who did not live up to expectations.

In Russia in the turning sixties, many were inclined to consider themselves people superior to others. In particular, the desire to get rich with one blow was a natural manifestation of the spirit of profit that seized the big and petty bourgeoisie (in the novel this element is called Luzhin). Raskolnikov does not seek wealth and comfort, he wants to make humanity happy. He did not believe in socialist ideas and revolutionary struggle. He wanted to become such a ruler who would use strength and power to lead humanity from humiliation to a bright paradise. For him, power is not an end in itself, but only a means of realizing the ideal.

At the same time, Raskolnikov himself does not notice how he violates his own rules. For strong personality there are no others, and he is always trying to do something for people (either he gives his meager money to the Marmeladovs, or he tries to save a drunk girl on the boulevard). He has too much compassion. And although he brings the plan to the end, Raskolnikov’s conscience, protesting against the shedding of blood, and reason, justifying the murder, battle in Raskolnikov’s soul. This duality led to the collapse of Raskolnikov’s idea. He wanted to become Napoleon and the Messiah, the Savior, rolled into one. But tyrant and virtue do not go together. Raskolnikov’s idea did not justify itself precisely because Rodion, crushed by hunger, illness, and poverty, turned out to be a living and conscientious person, ready to take responsibility for his actions.

Am I a trembling creature?

or do I have the right?

F. M. Dostoevsky

In his novel Crime and Punishment, published in 1866, Dostoevsky explores the problem of “personality - society,” that is, reconciling the uniqueness of one person with the equal value of all other people.

The main character of the novel, poor student Rodion Raskolnikov, is convinced that the entire human race is divided into two unequal parts. In his article, written half a year before the crime, he says that “people, according to the law of nature, are divided into two classes: the lower (ordinary), so to speak, the material that serves solely for the generation of their own kind, and on people themselves, that is, those who have the gift or talent to say a new word in their midst.” The meaning of the division into two categories is the affirmation of the “right of the strong” to break the law and commit crimes. Raskolnikov speaks of loners who rise above the crowd: this is “a superman who lives according to the law given to himself. If, for his idea, he needs to step over even a corpse, over blood, then within himself, in conscience, he can, in my opinion, give himself permission to step over blood - depending, however, on the idea and the size of it ..."

At first glance, his reasoning is logical. He is thinking about what Napoleon would have done if he had successful career It would have been necessary not to conquer Egypt, but to kill the pitiful old woman. Raskolnikov decides that for Napoleon such a question simply did not exist: “... power is given only to those who dare to bend down and take it.” A person of the “highest rank” has the right to take power without stopping at anything.

Raskolnikov undertakes to prove in practice that he is an extraordinary person. He carefully considers and carries out a terrible plan: he kills and robs the old, stingy and insignificant pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna. True, at the same time, her quiet, meek sister Lizaveta, who did not harm anyone, also accepts death. Raskolnikov failed to reap the benefits of his crime; his conscience tormented him. But he himself believes in his theory even when he goes to confess to the murder, believing that it was he himself who did not live up to expectations.

He tried to decide for himself the question of whether he was Napoleon, but was defeated. “Who in Rus' now doesn’t consider himself Napoleon?” — investigator Porfiry exclaims sarcastically. In Russia in the turning sixties, many were inclined to consider themselves people superior to others. In particular, the desire to get rich with one blow was a natural manifestation of the spirit of profit that had seized the big and petty bourgeoisie (in the novel this element is called Luzhin). Raskolnikov does not seek wealth and comfort, he wants to make humanity happy. He did not believe in socialist ideas and revolutionary struggle. He wanted to become such a ruler who would use strength and power to lead humanity out of humiliation into a bright paradise. For him, power is not an end in itself, but only a means of realizing the ideal. Material from the site

At the same time, Raskolnikov himself does not notice how he violates his own rules. For a strong personality, there are no others, and he is always trying to do something for people (either he gives his meager money to the Marmeladovs, or he tries to save a drunken girl on the boulevard). He has too much compassion. And although he brings the plan to the end, Raskolnikov’s conscience, protesting against the shedding of blood, and reason, justifying the murder, battle in Raskolnikov’s soul. This duality led to the collapse of Raskolnikov’s idea. He wanted to become Napoleon and the Messiah, the Savior, rolled into one. But tyrant and virtue do not go together. Raskolnikov’s idea did not justify itself precisely because Rodion, crushed by hunger, illness, and poverty, turned out to be a living and conscientious person, ready to take responsibility for his actions.

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Raskolnikov's theory and its collapse

F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” is one of the most important works in world literature. Socio-psychological and philosophical novel depicts the contradiction of ideological beliefs, the conflict of thoughts and feelings of people, and also shows the tense and difficult mood of society in the second half of the 19th century.

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, main character Romana, a student at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, was forced to leave his studies due to lack of money. Living in a room that looks more like a coffin or a closet, one is on the verge of poverty. “Do you know, Sonya, that low ceilings and cramped rooms cramp the soul and mind!” says Raskolnikov about his closet. Rodion is quite educated and intelligent, capable of noticing and sensibly assessing what is happening. So, he sees all the poverty and depravity of St. Petersburg life, in which an ordinary worker is not able to support his family. Sonechka Marmeladova goes to the panel to sell her body, while her father becomes an alcoholic, realizing all his insignificance.

Under the influence of the difficulties of life, as well as the political mood of society, an immoral and inhumane theory is born in Raskolnikov’s head. Its meaning is that all people from birth are divided into two categories: ordinary - “... that is, so to speak, into material that serves solely for the generation of their own kind...”, and extraordinary - “... actually into people, that is, having the gift or talent to say a new word in one’s midst.” “The first preserve the world and increase it numerically; the latter move the world and lead it to the goal.” According to Raskolnikov’s plan, the second, “extraordinary” ones, have the unofficial right to allow their conscience to step over an obstacle, through blood, if there are reasons for this and it will lead to the common good.

Rodion Raskolnikov, coming up with this theory, thinks about what category he belongs to, and then painful questions appear in his head: “...am I a louse, like everyone else, or a man?”, “Am I a trembling creature or do I have the right?” ..." Due to his pride and unshakable belief in his own exclusivity, Rodion is not able to classify himself as a “trembling creature,” which is why he decides to kill the old pawnbroker, whom he does not even consider to be a person. “I just killed a louse, Sonya, a useless, nasty, harmful one.” But he decides to kill not because he put himself on an equal footing with Napoleon and Mohammed, not because he wants to become a universal benefactor (“Kill her and take her money, so that with their help you can then devote yourself to serving all humanity and the common cause: how Do you think that one tiny crime will not be atone for with thousands of good deeds?... One death and a hundred lives in return"), and not even because he and his family needed money. “If only I had killed because I was hungry... - then I would now... be happy!” He kills for himself in order to decide on one of the categories of his theory. But this is the most terrible thing for society, when a criminal is guided by a theory, driven by conscious protest, and not by base instincts: “It’s also good that you just killed the old woman, but if you came up with another theory, it would probably be a hundred million times more They would have done a uglier job!” Dostoevsky Raskolnikov novel

Raskolnikov, driven by an idea, kills Alena Ivanovna, but the soul and essence of human nature rises in him. “Whoever has it, suffer, since he recognizes the mistake. This is his punishment—except hard labor.” Rodion has a conscience, it is precisely this that rises in his soul and accompanies him with torment until the end of the novel. Future life Raskolnikov turns into hell. He is moving away from friends, from family, his condition is similar to madness. “It’s as if I cut myself off from everyone and everything with scissors...” But he also suffered from the realization that he did not belong to the highest rank of his theory and did not have the right to kill. “...The devil dragged me then, and only after that he explained to me that I had no right to go there, because I was just as much a louse as everyone else!..<…>Did I kill the old lady? I killed myself, not the old woman!” Then he, unable to bear his loneliness, goes to the “eternal” Sonechka Marmeladova, because he sees in her a person capable of understanding him. But Sonya is not like Raskolnikov, she is highly moral and honors the commandments of God and commits crimes not for herself, but for her family, thereby atonement for her sin. Sonechka is Rodion's only salvation.

The idea still lives in Raskolnikov’s head, it eats him up from the inside, occupies all his thoughts, that’s why he doesn’t listen to Sonya’s advice, doesn’t go to surrender: “Maybe I’ve slandered myself, maybe I’m still a man, not louse, and hastened to condemn myself... I will still fight.” But Raskolnikov cannot stand the fight and denounces himself, showing, as he believes, weakness and cowardice (after all, there is no real evidence against him and no one can “convict” him), for which he blames and despises himself. “...The fact that I killed a nasty, malicious louse, an old woman pawnbroker, useless to anyone, whom killing forty sins will be forgiven, who sucked the juice out of the poor, and this is a crime? I don’t think about it and I don’t think about washing it off. But I, I couldn’t even stand the first step, because I’m a scoundrel!.. And yet I won’t look with your eyes: if I had succeeded, I would have been crowned, but now I’m in a trap!.. I never, never was I am stronger and more convinced than now!..” Even after turning himself in, Rodion does not repent of the crime. He only blames himself for “couldn’t stand it” because he turned out to be lower than the demands he places on himself as a “person.” This means that the theory still has the right to exist.

While in hard labor, Raskolnikov had a dream in which he saw humanity being struck by some terrible pestilence, the consequences of which was madness and permissiveness: “...Everyone thought that the truth lay in him alone... They didn’t know who and to judge, they could not agree on what to consider as evil and what as good. People killed each other in some senseless rage. Fires started, famine began. Everything and everyone was dying. Only a few people in the whole world could be saved; these were the pure and chosen ones, destined to start a new race of people and new life, renew and cleanse the land, but no one saw these people anywhere, no one heard their words and voices.” In this dream, F. M. Dostoevsky shows Raskolnikov’s theory using the example of a disease that affects every person, where everyone imagines himself to be an “extraordinary” person, and therefore has the right to “murder according to his conscience.” The world in his dream turns into chaos, where the main force is violence. But even this “senseless nonsense” does not refute his idea in Raskolnikov’s mind.

“They were resurrected by love, the heart of one contained endless sources of life for the heart of the other. And what are all these, all the torments of the past! Everything, even his crime, even his sentence and exile seemed to him now, in his first impulse, as some kind of external, strange fact, as if it had not even happened to him.” It is love for Sonechka that resurrects Rodion, awakens in him highly moral, humane qualities and gives him a chance for a new life. He is never convinced of the fallacy of his theory, only throwing it out of his thoughts and begins to live not by an idea, but by feelings and soul. “...He only felt. Instead of dialectics, life came, and something completely different had to be developed in the consciousness.”

Through the “fair” distribution of goods, it arose in the atmosphere characteristic of that period. On the one hand, there are honest, decent people, turned by extreme poverty into “trembling creatures”; on the other, there is a useless, but very rich “louse”, sucking the blood of those same honest people. Moreover, new, completely unformed, often devoid of the foundations of morality and spirituality, ideas add fuel to the fire.

To emphasize the (apparent) correctness of Raskolnikov, Dostoevsky deliberately scatters pictures of grief and poverty throughout the novel, thereby enhancing the painful feeling of hopelessness. The last straw that overflowed the cup of patience and led to the fact that Raskolnikov’s theory moved from the stage of abstract reflection to the stage of practical implementation was Marmeladov’s confession and a letter from his mother. The moment has come to materialize the idea long nurtured by the hero in his wretched closet: this is blood according to conscience, which selected persons (including him) are allowed to shed.

Raskolnikov's theory was both dependent and in contradiction with the then popular positivist theories of G. Spencer, D. S. Mill, N. G. Chernyshevsky. They all relied on economic benefits and material comforts, prosperity.

Dostoevsky believed that consciousness, constantly filled with such categories, loses the need for Christian virtues, for high spirituality. His hero tries to connect both sides. He dreamed that a person would show egocentrism within reasonable limits, and that he would not become a slave to modern economic relations, would not become too immersed in his own

Raskolnikov's theory, implemented in practice, revealed to the hero himself the paradoxical juxtaposition in his soul of love for people and contempt for them. He considers himself a chosen one who has the right (and even must) kill in order to benefit not only himself, but all of humanity. And here he suddenly realizes that he is attracted by power for its own sake, by the desire to dominate others.

In order to somehow justify his hard-won ideas, Raskolnikov gives the example of some legislators who were not stopped even by blood. However, their actions do not seem meaningful and salutary; on the contrary, they amaze with senseless destruction for the sake of something better. Such a course of Rodion’s thoughts does not ennoble his ideas, as he wanted, but only exposes them and leads to the same assessment that Porfiry Petrovich gave to everything that was happening. He defined the criminal as an individual who deifies himself while belittling the personalities of others and encroaching on their lives.

Raskolnikov's absurd theory and its collapse are seen by Dostoevsky as a natural event. He showed how the nebulosity of the salvation and beneficence of a new idea, its uncertainty can serve as a kind of psychological curtain that can lull even a person’s conscience in order to destroy and blur the boundaries between the concepts of good and evil.

Raskolnikov's theory and its collapse also have a historical side. It shows how ambiguous certain historical innovations can be, how the law of “I” can be inversely proportional to prudence and good morals.

The author does not describe the spiritual rebirth of the main character in the same detail as his spiritual ordeals, however, he outlines the contours. Raskolnikov gradually realizes the essence of his idea, its disastrousness, its real meaning. He experiences the strongest and is ready to repent, ready from now on to be guided in his life only by the commandments of the Gospel. According to Dostoevsky, restore the hero human form Only sacrificial, giving love is capable, and not abstract, for all humanity, but concrete, for a specific neighbor. For Raskolnikov, such salvation is the compassionate love between him and

The novel "Crime and Punishment" was conceived by Dostoevsky while still in hard labor. Then it was called "Drunk", but gradually the concept of the novel was transformed into a "psychological report of a crime." Dostoevsky himself, in a letter to the publisher M.I. Katkov, clearly retells the plot of the future work: “A young man, expelled from university students and living in extreme poverty, ... having succumbed to some strange unfinished ideas ..., decided to get out of his bad situation at once, having killed and robbed an old woman..." At the same time, the student wants to use the money received in this way for good purposes: complete a course at the university, help your mother and sister, go abroad and “then be honest, firm, and unwavering throughout your life in fulfilling your humane duty to humanity.”

In this statement by Dostoevsky, I would like to especially emphasize two phrases: “a student living in extreme poverty” and “succumbing to some strange, unfinished ideas.” These two phrases are key to understanding the cause-and-effect relationship of the novel. What came first: the hero’s plight, which led to illness and a painful theory, or the theory that was the cause of Raskolnikov’s terrible situation.

Dostoevsky in his novel depicts the clash of theory with the logic of life. According to the writer, the living process of life, that is, the logic of life, always refutes and makes untenable any theory - both the most advanced, revolutionary, and the most criminal. This means you can’t live life according to theory. And therefore the main philosophical thought The novel is revealed not in a system of logical proofs and refutations, but as a collision of a person obsessed with an extremely criminal theory with life processes that refutes this theory.

Raskolnikov's theory is based on the inequality of people, on the chosenness of some and the humiliation of others. And the murder of the old woman is intended as a vital test of this theory using a particular example. This way of depicting the murder very clearly reveals author's position: the crime that Raskolnikov committed is a low, vile deed, from the point of view of Raskolnikov himself. But he did it consciously, stepped over his human nature, stepping over himself.

With his crime, Raskolnikov excluded himself from the category of people, became an outcast, an outcast. “I didn’t kill the old woman, I killed myself,” he admitted to Sonya Marmeladova. This isolation from people prevents Raskolnikov from living. His human nature does not accept this alienation from people. It turns out that a person cannot live without communicating with people, even such a proud person as Raskolnikov. Therefore, the hero’s mental struggle becomes more intense and desperate, it goes in many directions, and each leads to a dead end. Raskolnikov still believes in the infallibility of his idea and despises himself for his weakness and mediocrity; Every now and then he calls himself a scoundrel. But at the same time, he suffers from the inability to communicate with his mother and sister, thinking about them as painfully as he thinks about the murder of Lizaveta. And he tries not to think, because if he starts to think, he will certainly have to decide where to classify them according to his theory - to what category of people. According to the logic of his theory, they should be classified as a “lower” category and, therefore, the ax of another Raskolnikov could fall on their heads, and on the heads of Sonya, Polechka, Katerina Ivanovna. Raskolnikov must, according to his theory, give up those for whom he suffers. He must despise, hate, kill those he loves, he cannot survive this. He cannot bear the thought that his theory is similar to the theories of Luzhin and Svidrigailov, he hates them, but has no right to this hatred. “Mother, sister, how I love them! Why do I hate them now?”

Here his human nature most acutely collided with his inhuman theory. But the theory won. And therefore Dostoevsky, as it were, comes to the aid of the human nature of his hero. Immediately after this monologue, he gives Raskolnikov's third dream: he again kills the old woman, and she laughs at him. A dream in which the author brings Raskolnikov's crime to the people's court. This scene reveals the full horror of Raskolnikov's act. Dostoevsky does not show the moral resurrection of his hero, because that is not what his novel is about. The writer’s task was to show what power an idea can have over a person and how terrible this idea can be, how criminal. The hero's idea of ​​the right of the strong to commit crime turned out to be absurd. Life has defeated theory.