Raskolnikov's theory was formed by chance: he accidentally overheard a conversation in a pub, and a peculiar substantiation of this idea arose in his head, created in him by the exceptionally difficult circumstances of his life.
Raskolnikov's thought had already dwelled on the question of the relativity in life of the concepts of good and evil. In the midst of humanity, Raskolnikov separated a small group of people who, as it were, stood above questions of good and evil, above ethical assessments of actions and deeds, people who, due to their genius, their high usefulness for humanity, nothing can serve as an obstacle to whom everything is allowed. The rest, who do not leave the circle of mediocrity, the mass, the crowd, must obey the existing general norms and laws and serve as a means of high goals for the chosen people. Moral rules do not exist for the latter, they can break them, because their ends justify their means.
This is how Raskolnikov substantiates the right of an exceptional person to commit crimes in the name of not animals and selfish, but general and lofty goals. Raskolnikov understands that such a course of action must also correspond to the special mental structure of the personality of a person who is ready to “transgress” morality. For this he must be the owner of a strong will, iron endurance, and in him over feelings of fear, despair, timidity, only the consciousness of the set intellectual goals should rule. Having fallen into despair and longing, Raskolnikov needs to prove to himself that he is not a “trembling creature”, that he dares, maybe that he is destined to go through all his plans. “Power is given only to those who dare to bend down and take it. There is only one thing: you just have to dare!”
Thus, the planned murder attracts Raskolnikov not with the possibility of enrichment, but as a victory over himself, as a confirmation of his strength, as proof that he is not “material” for construction, but the builder himself. When contemplating a crime, Raskolnikov goes entirely into theorizing, into philosophical reflections, and he is much more interested in logical conclusions than in the results of an act. He remains a theoretician, a thinker even when he fulfills all his plans. And, despite the fact that, as it seemed, he foresaw and foresaw everything in advance, he could not foresee the most important thing precisely because he is a man of thought, not action.
Need and the humiliation and insults associated with it for the proud young man served as one of the first impetuses for making a decision. Pawning his belongings with the usurer, Raskolnikov experienced disgust and anger, caused in him by the appearance and the whole atmosphere of the sinister old woman. And when one day he managed to accidentally overhear in a beer conversation two students about the murder, the arguments of one of them were, as it were, an echo of the unconscious conviction of Raskolnikov himself.
Although the student who defended this point of view so ardently confessed that he himself could not confirm it by action and would not have gone to murder, this thought sunk into Raskolnikov’s head, and he thought about it a lot. He also dwelled on the practical consequences of the crime: the old woman's money would give him the opportunity to graduate from the university, help his mother and sister, and begin activities useful to society. But then he is completely captured by his own theory about genius and the crowd, about people of strength and will, about builders-strong loners - and the crowd as material for buildings.
It becomes necessary for Raskolnikov to prove to himself at all costs that he has the strength and determination to justify his bold theory in practice. Completely overwhelmed by the feverish and persistent work of thought, exhausted by hunger, he becomes a victim of his obsession and, as hypnotized, no longer has the strength to tear himself away from the intended path.
At first he struggled with himself, something in him protested against his decision, the thought of murder filled him with longing and disgust. But then he somehow mechanically obeyed his idea, no longer in control of himself, but as if fulfilling someone else's will. “As if,” the author says, “someone took him by the hand and pulled him along, irresistibly, blindly, with unnatural force, without objection. It was as if he had hit a piece of clothing in the wheel of a car, and he began to be drawn into it.
Random external circumstances prompt him to carry out his plan. Having foreseen some trifles, Raskolnikov thought that he had discovered a complete preparation for a new life according to his "new morality". But the circumstances that unfolded after the accomplishment of the murder showed the theoretician that immediate life and its events have their own special logic, which crushes all the arguments and arguments of an abstract theory into dust. From his own terrible experience, Raskolnikov was convinced of the mistakes he had made.
10.05.2017 19:14Today we will talk about the theory that F. Dostoevsky introduces us to in the novel Crime and Punishment. What ideas did the author want to convey and what is the fallacy of Raskolnikov's theory?
About the book
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky wrote a wonderful book about human madness called Crime and Punishment. It was written back in 1866, but remains relevant to this day. The writer lifts the veil over the life of ordinary people in Russia in the 19th century. At this time, the struggle between various revolutionary currents is activated, and social contradictions are becoming more acute. In his book, Dostoevsky did not pursue the goal of creating a negative hero: he brings to the fore the problems of society, which creates the reasons forcing a person to commit a crime. To show this, he describes in detail the thoughts, doubts, torment and reasons of Rodion.Main character
The main character is Rodion Raskolnikov - a modest man, a former student who earns money wherever he has to and lives in amazing poverty. He cannot see any light in life, he understands this very well. Raskolnikov's theory in the novel "Crime and Punishment" is revealed to readers gradually in order to convey all the depth and doom. It should be understood that Rodion is not the last villain and stupid, he is quite smart, which is clearly seen in the process of reading the book. The guy is not without even such qualities as responsiveness and kindness. Isn't there a paradox of crime in this? After all, units from all over the world, which can be counted on the fingers, have a truly animal inexplicable rigidity, which is dictated by nothing but a thirst for blood. There are incredibly few such people, and crimes are committed everywhere. How so? Every criminal also has something good in himself, no matter how difficult it is sometimes to admit it. It is easy to talk about this, in practice the situation is not so simple, but still the essence of this does not change. We understand that Rodion has a number of positive qualities, but the poverty surrounding him greatly hurts feelings. In addition, he sees the complete lack of rights and doom of those like himself. All this brings the hero to complete spiritual exhaustion, in the conditions of which his inhuman theory is born.
The essence of Raskolnikov's theory
With what thoughts did Rodion try to calm himself? Did he succeed? Raskolnikov's theory in the novel "Crime and Punishment" is that it divides people into two types: completely powerless people and those who can break the law for their own personal purposes. This is the main idea that the main character develops in the course of the book. Over time, it changes a little, some new features of two categories of people appear. The funny thing is that at first Raskolnikov himself thought his theory was a joke, he did not take it seriously, but considered it just entertainment in order not to think about pressing matters. The more Rodion "has fun" in this way, the more truthful, rational and correct his own theory seems to him. He begins to bring everyone and everything under it and think about people only on the basis of this position.
Finding yourself
What is the theory of Raskolnikov, we already know, but what place is assigned to him in it? Throughout the book, he himself tries to answer this question for himself. Raskolnikov's theory in the novel "Crime and Punishment" states that for the happiness and well-being of the majority, the destruction of the minority is necessary. Through difficult reflections and analysis of his mind, Rodion decides that he belongs to the category of people who have the right to perform any actions in order to achieve the goal. In order to test his luck and make sure that he belongs to the "elite", Rodion decides to kill the old pawnbroker. The essence of Raskolnikov's theory is deceptive, because, trying to make the world a better place, he commits a terrible crime - murder.
Effects
Wanting to improve the world around him, Raskolnikov eventually realizes that the crime committed does not benefit anyone. He realizes the meaninglessness of his act. At this point, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky begins to refute the already known theory. In the book, this happens against the backdrop of Rodion's intense torment, which he experiences after the murder. Raskolnikov's theory in the novel "Crime and Punishment" fails, and the protagonist himself feels like a driven animal, because, on the one hand, his conscience torments him, and on the other, he is afraid to make a mistake and betray himself.Making sense
The main character conducts a very unsuccessful experiment on himself, which leads to apathy and depression, because the problems remain unresolved, and besides, every night his conscience torments him. What is Raskolnik's theory after the crime? For him, she remained the same, but he had to accept the fact that he, apparently, was a powerless trembling creature. To the last, he tries to keep his views. The death of the old woman cuts him off from the outside world, he is completely immersed in the inner life. Raskolnikov's theory, whose quotes amaze even adults with cruelty, was supposed to help the young man find peace, but led him into the terrible jungle of his own conscience.
He tries to find some kind of salvation, for he feels that the oppression of thoughts will soon destroy him. Raskolnikov wants to find a man to whom he can tell his terrible secret. He decides to trust Sonya Marmeladova, a girl who has violated the laws of morality. Raskolnikov relieves the soul. The young man continues to communicate with the girl and, under her influence, repents of his crime before the law. Raskolnikov's theory (it is briefly described in the article) fails. 
collapse
Refusal of views is given to Rodion very hard. A great influence on him is the belief in people in God and the immense kindness of Sonya Marmeladova. Raskolnikov's theory (summarized above) suffers a complete collapse only after he has a dream where everyone is killing each other, and as a result the earth becomes devastated. Complete absurdity. Finally, Rodion understands the fallacy of his theory, because its essence is that there will be no people left. After sleep, the main character gradually begins to regain faith in people and in goodness. This is not easy, he stubbornly refuses past views. Rodion begins to understand that happiness should be available to everyone. He will also come to a deep understanding of Christian values. Happiness and prosperity cannot be built on crime. It is unacceptable to kill even one person, because people are absolutely equal by nature. Below are some quotes from the book:“Power is given only to those who dare to bend down and pick it up. There is only one thing, one thing: you just have to dare!”
“The more cunning a person is, the less he suspects that he will be knocked down on a simple one. The most cunning person should be taken on the simplest one.
“... And you will reach the line that you will not step over it - you will be unhappy, but if you step over, you may become even more unhappy ...”
So, today we learned what Raskolnikov's theory is.
Plan
1. Introduction
2. The essence of the theory
3. Reasons for the collapse of the theory
4. Conclusion
The uniqueness of the novel "Crime and Punishment" is that Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky presented and tested an unusual theory, which he told through the mouth of his hero Raskolnikov. In this essay, the theory itself and the reasons for its failure will be considered.
According to the protagonist of the novel "Crime and Punishment", the whole society is divided into two unequal parts: ordinary, unremarkable people and outstanding personalities. The first is a huge live mass, which is controlled by the second. The ordinary part of humanity simply needs to rely on some rules in their actions, while the second part not only can, but must overstep the law in the name of a brighter future. And only those who are able to challenge fate, laws and society as a whole can control the living mass and be called extraordinary people. The life of the majority does not deserve pity, since their insignificant life is not worth a penny. They are forced to die for something great and important.
Outstanding personalities can step over someone's corpse if the idea really requires it. In addition, leaders can be forgiven for their atrocities if they were done for good. Conscience may not torment such people, since the living mass was created for this purpose, to sacrifice it for the sake of lofty ideas. As a rule, unremarkable people did not leave their mark on history, and the activities of an extraordinary part of society were aimed at destroying the old, creating a new one, and changing the life of mankind. Among the outstanding personalities, Raskolnikov singled out Solomon, Napoleon, Lycurgus, Mohammed. "Is it possible to find happiness by sacrificing people and transgressing moral laws" - this is the main question that the main character tried to answer.
By the end of the work, Raskolnikov himself was convinced that his theory could not exist. This happened for several reasons. Firstly, the murder of some people, which was the basis of the main character's idea, cannot become a guarantee of the happiness of others. As Rodion correctly noted, instead of the desired death of the old pawnbroker, he received his own moral demise. Secondly, the division of society into two unequal parts initially had no chance of success. The instability inherent in society refutes the existence of any fixed labels for certain people.
The theory of "outstanding" and "ordinary" people, described in the novel "Crime and Punishment", influenced many, including Rodion Raskolnikov himself. Thanks to this idea of the protagonist of the work, the idea of the novel is revealed: murder, even for a good purpose, cannot make anyone happier. Mortal sin will only worsen the position of the killer.
What are the motives for Raskolnikov's crime?
Raskolnikov sees the poverty and deprivation of poor people who push them to drunkenness, theft, prostitution. This causes a protest in him, a desire to help people. But he commits a crime not only and not so much because of a sense of social injustice. Raskolnikov wants to check whether he is capable of being a strong personality, of transgressing the moral law. In Raskolnikov's rebellion, social protest is combined with extreme individualism, the theory of a strong personality.
What is the significance of Raskolnikov's dreams in revealing the theme of the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"
Raskolnikov's dreams not only serve as a means of characterizing the character, but have an important compositional significance. They arise at the moment of the hero's highest tension and, as it were, complete one of the stages of his ideological search. Raskolnikov's dreams show that the struggle is not only in the mind, but also in the subconscious of the hero. Little Raskolnikov, as he sees himself in a dream, feels sorry for the exhausted, whipped and then killed with an ax horse. In a dream, he embraces a dead horse's head and is horrified by blood. When he wakes up, he imagines how the ax will go into the skull, and this also horrifies him. But he strives to prove that he is able to overcome himself. This dream of Raskolnikov shows the incompatibility of the crime he conceived with such traits of his character as compassion and tenderness.
What unites all the inhabitants of the St. Petersburg "bottom"?
F.M. Dostoevsky depicts terrible pictures of the life of the poor in a big city. Miserable dwellings, illnesses, poverty - this is what unites all the inhabitants of the "bottom" of St. Petersburg. Each family is poor in its own way, but the life of all poor people is tragic. Suffice it to cite the fate of the Marmeladov family as an example.
What is the originality of the solution of the theme of social injustice in the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"
The main theme of Russian literature - protest against social injustice, poverty rises in the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment" to the philosophical and ethical level. Raskolnikov undertakes a "rebellion" not because of a personal insult, but in the name of the humiliated and offended. Here the problem of a noble goal and unrighteous means is solved - whether murder is justified even by the highest and most humane goal.
What is Raskolnikov's theory?
Raskolnikov's theory is a theory of a strong personality. The hero divides people into two categories. Some are ants from an anthill, who obey and suffer all their lives, others - their few - have power, can violate universal laws. This is the theory of extreme individualism. Raskolnikov is obsessed with the idea of testing in practice, "he is a trembling creature or has a right." The Christian idea completely leaves this theory.
Rodion Raskolnikov is the protagonist of the novel. This is an extremely intelligent, gifted student who is penniless and lives in appalling conditions. He cannot continue his studies and find a job. The complete poverty that surrounds him and the lack of any hope of escaping from it, bring the young man to the extreme. The unstable political system and the consequences of the reforms, which have deprived the people of traditional views and moral principles, have a great influence on them. Every day he sees how previously accepted moral norms are violated, how people commit acts that go beyond the bounds of decency. In his fragile, but developed analytical mind, a theory that is inherently terrible is born, which takes root in his head and, as a result, pushes him to kill.The essence of the theory
Raskolnikov divides all people into two types:- "Supermen"- these are strong-willed outstanding personalities who make history (he classifies Napoleon as such).
- "Creatures trembling"- these are all the other people, dragging out an ordinary existence.
Important! Strong people, in his opinion, have the right to commit any crime, if it is justified for the accomplishment of a great goal.In the course of his reflections, Raskolnikov tries to determine which category he belongs to. He decides that he can prove his superiority by committing a crime without feeling remorse. He believes that the destruction of the exploiters of society can be a worthy goal. This type of Raskolnikov also includes the old pawnbroker, Alena Ivanovna, who profits from the suffering of poor people. He wants to take her money and help those in need.
Important! This theory intersects with the ideological sentiments of the revolutionary democracy that prevailed at that time, and is complemented by the original philosophy of individualism, which allows for the violation of moral principles and "blood in conscience."Raskolnikov believes that the development of mankind is impossible without violence and sacrifice, which are carried out by great people. High conceit pushes him to implement a plan that can prove to him that he is not a “trembling creature”.
Implementation and debunking
Having developed his theory, the student decides to confirm it. From the start, his entire finely crafted plan is disrupted. He kills not only the pawnbroker, who is evil, but also her sister Lizaveta, as she turned out to be an accidental witness. This does not correspond to his ideology and becomes the first of the problems. After the perfect villainy, the reader observes in detail how the fear, paranoia of the hero develops. He even faints at the police station, and then becomes seriously ill.
Important! Raskolnikov understands that by killing, he crossed the moral and religious line, which cut him off from good people and transferred him to the category of villains. He does not abandon his theory, but is disappointed in himself.Despite his isolation and secrecy, Raskolnikov still needs to communicate. Having reached complete despair, he talks about the deed of Sonya Marmeladova (an unfamiliar and stupid prostitute). In her, he sees a stronger personality, because, despite her occupation, which deprived her of morality, and poverty, she was able to maintain love for people, readiness for self-sacrifice. Sonya refutes his theory, since she does not belong to either the first or the second category. She herself disposed of her life and even in terrible conditions she was able to maintain the purity of her soul.
