Dostoevsky's reations through the Years - Term Paper Example

Order 427586 Topic: Dostoevsky’s s from Underground The theme of freedom discussed by Dostoyevsky in “Notes from Underground and The Double” is no ordinary freedom. To understand that freedom one has to transcend the mind. To transcend the mind is a difficult task, as one has to hope over several obstacles and barriers. Dostoyevsky has made desperate attempts to assess what true freedom is and he knocks at the mind-level portals for that. He is aware that the state of individual bliss lies beyond the domain of the mind. He is trying his level best to explain the inexplicable. He is trying to put in words but fails again, as that is beyond words and can only be experienced individually by the ardent seeker. It is not an issue of collective philosophy that can be implemented amongst the masses by oral communications and physical drills. Freedom is the precious asset of an individual and only that particular individual can understand and experience its true worth. The theme of freedom and social injustice are closely interlinked. When injustice is prevalent in the society, the first casualty is the freedom of the individual and that of the humankind. Dostoevsky was opposed to the institution of serfdom widely prevalent during his times, and to make the matter worse, his father was murdered by his own serfs. His prison life, contributed to his inward growth and he turned more philosophical than logical to find answers to the intricate and confusing problems concerning the individual. The real happiness, according to him, is to break away from all codified set or rules of governance and attain wisdom to discriminate between positive and negative, right and wrong. A deeper understanding of the self alone will give practical solutions to lifes baffling problems, and such an individual will develop the capacity to foresee situations and act judiciously. Notes from Underground provides a homogenous mixture of spirituality and the secular issues that confront the poor in the society--the lower rung of the society-- the downtrodden and the suffering class. That which is not practical, can not be spiritual either. The author makes great efforts to connect the life of the common man, his trials and tribulations, with the ultimate purpose of human life. With all the arguments and counter-arguments that he makes, the ending does not provide the final solution and he admits it. He is candid enough to write, “ Last of all, gentlemen: it is best to do nothing! The best thing is a conscious inertia! So live the underground!....it isnt the underground that is better, but something different, entirely different, which I am eager for, but which I shall never find.”(43) Dostoevskys concept of freedom lies in the happiness of the masses, the possibility of which he saw in creating harmony amongst his (Russian) people through a return to traditional Russian values—the simple traits like leading a personal responsible life, devotion to religion, brotherly love and family values. He believed in universal laws and definitely reveled in spirituality when he mentions about fundamental individuality of the human soul, the power of free will and the complexity of human personality. The concept of individual freedom can never be the tool of self-aggrandizement. It must contribute to the happiness of all. Dostoevsky gives the example of ants to prove his point. He writes, “ All respectable ants begin with the ant-hill, and they will probably end with it too, which does great credit to their constancy and their positive character. But man is a fickle and disreputable creature and perhaps, like a chess-player, is interested in the process of attaining his goal rather than the goal itself.”(40) According to Dostoevsky, an individual needs to be a practicing rebel against all procedures and set of rules wherever they hold up progress, both secular and spiritual. His reference to sages is highly critical and reveals the inquisitiveness and the restlessness to grasp the ultimate truth about the purpose of human life and the process of living! He writes, “ Ones own free and unfettered volition, ones own caprice, however wild, ones own fancy, inflamed sometimes to the point of madness—that is the one best and greatest good, which is never taken into consideration because it will not fit into any classification, and the omission of which always sends all systems and theories to the devil. Where did all the sages get the idea that a mans desires must be normal and virtuous? Why do they imagine that he must inevitably will what is reasonable and profitable? What a man needs is simply and solely independent volition, whatever that independence may cost and wherever it may lead.”(11) During that era, Dostoyevsky encountered the rational egoists and the utopian socialists. The Underground Man discounts such philosophies. According to the author, it is impossible to achieve happiness for humankind through reason. Freedom and essential dignity of human beings are of utmost importance. Selfish interest may appear to provide a sense of direction to the society at the initial stages, but finally they will make the individual directionless and destination-less. Dostoevskys concept of freedom is in total variance with that of the utopian socialists. The uniformity propounded by them is the ugly expression of human freedom that can lead to totalitarianism, he argued. He proved prophetic and Russia turned out to be a hardcore communist country and the downfall of communism later is a tribute to the foresight of Dostoyevsky. His emphasis of freedom is in the simplicity of the Russian peasantry. He strongly advocated that people need to be basically sound and industrious and basic conditions also need to be created for the people to become basically sound and industrious. He resented the western values, though during his youth, he was fascinated by it. The European influences depicted in the Underground Man are to an extent are responsible for driving Dostoyevsky underground as his date with foreign set of values met with failure and resulted in frustrating experience. That did not contribute to his marching on the path of inner search or commencing what is called the inner journey in spirituality. He embraced solitude and declared, “ all these beautiful systems, these theories of explaining his best interests to man....are nothing but sophistry. Isnt there something that is dearer to almost everyman than his own very best interests, some best good which is more important and higher than any other good, and for the sake of which man is prepared, if necessary, to go against all the laws—that is against reason, honor, peace and quiet, prosperity—only to attain that primary, best good which is dear to him than all else.” (10,11) Though Dostoyevsky makes valiant efforts to define the theme of freedom as conceived by him, he remains unsure about its real nature till the end. In the absence of clear conscience, the Underground Man is unable to make right choices about life and take right decisions at the right time. He thinks about the multiplicity of consequences each action may lead and thus remains confused. He is aware that revery mind-level argument is bound to have a counter-arguments. The final truth can never be perceived by logic and reasoning. Every human action is coated with motivated desires and therefore, it can never lead to perfect results. Perfection can not be achieved by adopting the procedures of imperfection. Dostoevsky misses one important issue. While arguing about the active and inactive man, he forgets one more category of individuals. The spiritually evolved individuals, who have transcended the mind, and perform actions without any motivated desires. When one follows the religious injunctions with absolute confidence, that is one aspect of progress. When an individual goes underground in the real sense—that going process becomes active search within, and contributes to the development of ones personality. That is the beginning of progress of humankind. Individuals who cling to reason and science, can not appreciate such eternal human values. Total inaction can never contribute to freedom of humankind and it is against the process of evolution of humanity. But his firm conviction stands—an active person with a totally fixed mind—one that is not open to different possibilities—is even more dangerous than an inactive person whose mind moves and changes. The Underground Man does not appreciate blind faith. But no one can take the correct lessons from the Underground Man about freedom, as he himself is unsure about its true import. Works Cited: Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: Notes from Underground and The Double;Penguin Books, 1972(Reprinted 2003) Read More