Dostoevsky the Thinker

by James P. Scanlan

For all his distance from formal philosophy, Fyodor Dostoevsky was one of the most philosophical of writers. In works from fictional masterpieces to little-known nonfiction prose, he grappled with the ultimate questions about the nature of humankind. His novels are peopled by characters who dramatize the fierce debates that preoccupied the Russian intelligentsia during the second half of the nineteenth century. What was the philosophy of Dostoevsky? How does reading this literary giant from a new perspective add to our understanding of him and of Russian culture? In this remarkable book, a leading authority on Russian thought presents the first comprehensive account of Dostoevsky's philosophical outlook. Drawing on the writer's novels and, more so than other scholars, on his essays, letters, and notebooks, James P. Scanlan examines Dostoevsky's beliefs. The nonfiction pieces make possible new interpretations of some of the author's most controversial works of fiction, including Notes from Underground. Dostoevsky's thought, Scanlan explains, was shaped above all by its anthropocentrism, its struggle to define the essence of humanity. All of the subjects the writer addressed―including religion, ethics, aesthetics, history, the state, and the Russian nation―provided clues to the mystery of what it means to be human. Scanlan demonstrates conclusively that Dostoevsky's philosophical views were more solidly grounded and systematic than have been imagined and cannot be dismissed as the notions of an irrationalist. Scanlan also discusses the flaws and weaknesses in Dostoevsky's thought, in particular his controversial notion that Russia is the one "God-bearing" nation. This belief―that Russia has a messianic role to play in world history―has gained renewed popularity among its citizens, for whom Dostoevsky has long been regarded as a thinker of supreme importance.

Genres: Philosophy, Criticism

264 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2002

Reviews

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scanlan's book is extremely useful preliminary reading for anyone who wants to teach Dostoevsky as part of a philosophy course or who wants to understand the philosophical aspects of his work. On the bad side, there are times when the book seems to lack philosophical sophistication and nuance -- I'm not sure why, since Scanlan's a philosophy professor -- and at other times one feels that in attempting to neatly articulate Dostoevsky's beliefs and principles, Scanlan has had to simplify these too much and lost something important about them. But Scanlan has read far more widely than you ever will, including Russian sources and opponents of Dostoevsky that may never be translated into English, so the book will help provide a larger context for philosophical aspects of Dostoevsky's work than almost any English reader would be capable of obtaining on his or her own. The chapter on Dostoevsky's attack on Rational Egoism is a high point; it contains a particularly nice study of Notes from Underground that ought to be included in future editions of the Norton Critical Edition of Notes.

[Gediminas Tumėnas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe one of the best attempts to crystallize the philosophy of Dostoevsky behind his literaly works.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all Dostoevsky fans.