Introduction

The novel "Crime and Punishment" was written and published by F.M. Dostoevsky in 1866, that is, shortly after the abolition of serfdom and the beginning of a change in the socio-economic system. Such a breakdown of social and economic foundations entails an indispensable economic stratification, that is, the enrichment of some at the expense of the impoverishment of others, the liberation of human individuality from cultural traditions, traditions and authorities. And as a result, crime.

Dostoevsky in his book denounces bourgeois society, which gives rise to all kinds of evil - not only those that immediately catch the eye, but also those vices that lurk in the depths of the human subconscious.

The protagonist of the novel is Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, in the recent past, a student at St. Petersburg University, found himself on the verge of poverty and social decline. He has nothing to pay for living, the wardrobe is so worn out that it is a shame for a decent person to go out into the street in it. You often have to go hungry. Then he decides to commit murder and justify himself with the theory of "ordinary" and "extraordinary" people, which he himself invented.

Drawing the miserable and miserable world of the St. Petersburg slums, the writer traces step by step how a terrible theory is born in the mind of the hero, how it takes possession of all his thoughts, pushing him to murder.

The essence of Raskolnikov's theory

Raskolnikov's theory is far from an accidental phenomenon. Throughout the 19th century, disputes about the role of a strong personality in history and its moral character did not stop in Russian literature. This problem became the most discussed in society after the defeat of Napoleon. The problem of a strong personality is inseparable from the Napoleonic idea. “Napoleon,” says Raskolnikov, “it wouldn’t have occurred to him to be tormented by the question of whether it was possible to kill an old woman, he would have slaughtered without any thought.”

Possessing a sophisticated analytical mind and painful pride. Raskolnikov quite naturally thinks about which half he himself belongs to. Of course, he likes to think that he is a strong personality who, according to his theory, has the moral right to commit a crime in order to achieve a humane goal.

What is this goal? The physical destruction of the exploiters, to which Rodion ranks the malicious old woman-interest-bearer, who profited from human suffering. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with killing an old woman and using her wealth to help poor, needy people.

These thoughts of Raskolnikov coincide with the ideas of revolutionary democracy popular in the 60s, but in the theory of the hero they are bizarrely intertwined with the philosophy of individualism, which allows for "blood according to conscience", a violation of the moral norms accepted by most people. According to the hero, historical progress is impossible without sacrifice, suffering, blood, and is carried out by the powerful of this world, great historical figures. This means that Raskolnikov dreams of both the role of ruler and the mission of a savior. But Christian, self-sacrificing love for people is incompatible with violence and contempt for them.

The protagonist believes that all people from birth, according to the law of nature, are divided into two categories: "ordinary" and "extraordinary". Ordinary must live in obedience and have no right to transgress the law. And the extraordinary have the right to commit crimes and transgress the law. This theory is very cynical in terms of all the moral principles that have evolved over many centuries with the development of society, but Raskolnikov finds examples for his theory. For example, this is the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, whom Raskolnikov considers “extraordinary”, because Napoleon killed many people in his life, but his conscience did not torment him, as Raskolnikov believes. Raskolnikov himself, retelling his article to Porfiry Petrovich, noted that “an extraordinary person has the right ... to allow his conscience to step over ... over other obstacles, and only if the fulfillment of his idea (sometimes saving, perhaps for all mankind) requires it” .

According to Raskolnikov's theory, the first category includes conservative, orderly people, they live in obedience and love to be obedient. Raskolnikov claims "that they must be obedient, because this is their purpose, and there is absolutely nothing humiliating for them." The second category is breaking the law. The crimes of these people are relative and varied, they can "step even over a corpse, through blood" in order to fulfill their goals.

Conclusion: having created his theory, Raskolnikov hoped that his conscience would come to terms with his intention to kill a person, that after committing a terrible crime he would not torment, pester, exhaust his soul, but as it turned out, Raskolnikov himself doomed himself to torment, unable to cope with his in kind.

The meaning of Raskolnikov's theory

The origins of Raskolnikov's theory

Dostoevsky wrote that Raskolnikov's theory was based on ideas "circling in the air."

First, it is the idea of ​​rejection of evil and violence. Raskolnikov passionately wants to change the world and is looking for ways to save the "humiliated and offended."

Secondly, in Russia in the 1960s, the ideas of “Bonapartism” spread, that is, the ideas of a special purpose for a strong personality and its lack of jurisdiction under general laws.

Raskolnikov's theory is born under the influence of many reasons. This is also social - the society in which the hero lives is really based on evil and violence. This is also personal - one's own need, unwillingness to accept the sacrifice of the mother and sister.

Dreaming of remaking the world, Raskolnikov seeks to bring good to people, but this is good, in his opinion. Only an “extraordinary person” can accomplish, and only an “extraordinary person” can remake the world. Therefore, another reason that pushes him to commit a crime is the desire to check who he is, a strong personality or a "trembling creature."

The main provisions of Raskolnikov's theory

1. Raskolnikov divides all people into two categories: into “ordinary”, who live in obedience, and “extraordinary”, who are able to “say a new word in the environment”.

2. These "extraordinary" people, if their idea requires it, allow themselves to "step over at least the corpse and the blood."

Kepler and Newton, for example, if there was an obstacle in their way, they would have the right and even the obligation to eliminate 10 or 100 people in order to convey their discoveries to the world.

The collapse of Raskolnikov's theory

Arguments that expose Raskolnikov's theory

Dostoevsky cannot accept Raskolnikov's "social arithmetic", which is based on the destruction of at least one life. Therefore, from the very beginning, he proves the inconsistency of the theory, believing that there are no such criteria by which people could be divided into "ordinary" and "extraordinary".

Wanting to save people and bring good to the "humiliated and offended", Raskolnikov instead kills Lizaveta, one of those whom he wanted to save, during the commission of the crime.

Wanting to bring good to people, Raskolnikov becomes the culprit of many tragedies (the death of his mother, the conclusion of Mikolka, etc.).

The hero himself feels the vulnerability of his theory. “This man is a louse,” Sonya tells him. “But I also know that it’s not a louse,” Raskolnikov replies.

According to Raskolnikov's theory, Sonya, Katerina Ivanovna, Dunya, his mother are people of the lowest rank, and they should be despised. However, he loves his mother and sister, bows before Sonya, that is, he conflicts with his theory.

Wanting to be among the "extraordinary", he becomes like Luzhin, Svidrigailov, but it is precisely these people that he deeply hates, that is, he hates those people who live according to his theory.

For Raskolnikov, Luzhin, Svidrigailov, the old pawnbroker, are inferior people, however, on the other hand, for the same Luzhin, Raskolnikov himself is an inferior person who can be stepped over.

Having committed a crime, Raskolnikov suffers, suffers, but an “extraordinary” person would have done this “without any thought.” And these pangs of conscience are evidence that a person did not die in Raskolnikov.

The dream that Raskolnikov had in hard labor is proof that his theory leads to chaos, to the death of mankind.

In hard labor, Raskolnikov's spiritual healing takes place when he confesses the inconsistency of his theory and accepts Sonya's truth, the truth of Christian humility and forgiveness.

I have long dwelled on the question of the relativity in life of the concepts of good and evil. Among mankind, Raskolnikov separated a small group of people who, as it were, stood above the questions of good and evil, above the ethical assessments of deeds 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.

Raskolnikov's theory

“In my opinion,” says Raskolnikov, “if the Keplerian and Newtonian discoveries, due to any combinations, could in no way become known to people otherwise than with the donation of the lives of one, ten, a hundred and so on people who would interfere with this discovery, or would have stood in the way as an obstacle, then Newton would have had the right and. he would even be obliged to eliminate these ten or even a hundred people in order to make his discoveries known to all mankind. All the legislators and establishers of mankind, starting with the most ancient, continuing with the Lycurgs, Solons, Mohammeds, Napoleons and so on, every single one were criminals, already the one that, giving a new law, thereby violated the ancient one, sacredly revered by society and passed from the fathers , and, of course, they did not stop at blood, if only blood (sometimes completely innocent and valiantly shed for the ancient law) could help them. It is even remarkable that most of these benefactors and establishers of mankind were especially terrible bloodsheders.

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. It is characteristic of Raskolnikov that, when contemplating a murder, he 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 in thought, he could not foresee the most important thing precisely because he was a man of thought, not action.

Refutation of Raskolnikov's theory

Raskolnikov did not foresee precisely the fact that between a theoretical solution and practical implementation there often lies an abyss, that what seems so easy in theory and even fills with complacency and pride in reality reveals an unexpected, formidable and ominous meaning. He foresaw much in the planned plan and imagined almost all of its external consequences, but he could not foresee the inner state of health both at the moment of shedding blood, hitting the old woman’s skull with an ax, and in the days and nights that followed. Raskolnikov, as a theoretician and as an individualist, reckoned only with himself, with his own intellectual goals, while he was preparing to go and commit violence, take the life of another.

At its core, the fallacy of Raskolnikov’s theory boils down to the fact that he attributed a purely external meaning to moral laws in general and in particular the commandment “Thou shalt not kill”, which should be externally obligatory for some and from the recognition of which some can be exempted. That is why, while preparing for the murder, he thinks all the time mentally only of his logical positions, but does not consciously dwell on the essence of the very moment of the murder. And only vaguely something in him protests against the decision, and he feels anguish and disgust at the thought of the need to commit murder.

And after committing a crime, when he tries in vain to sort out his feelings, he believes that the whole point is simply that he did not have the strength to “transgress” the norm, to dare. “I only killed a louse, Sonya,” he says to Sonya Marmeladova, “useless, nasty, malicious” ... - “Is this a louse?” - Sonya exclaims, and by this she emphasizes her special, deeply religious attitude to human life. For Sonya Marmeladova, moral laws, the commandments of life are deeply embedded in the foundation of the human soul, and no one, no matter how high a person reaches, can transgress these commandments and laws without disfiguring his life, without committing terrible violence over his own soul. That's why she exclaims, sobbing: "What are you, what are you above oneself made! There is no one more unhappy than you now in the whole world.

As for Raskolnikov himself, he remains until the end of the novel, until the final lines of the epilogue, not understanding Sonya's religious attitude to life. But the author shows how Raskolnikov's immediate life reveals his violation of the basic laws of human life. Raskolnikov's theory, which allows murder for the few, the author contrasts with the spontaneous logic of life, not rational, like Raskolnikov's, but irrational, completely subjugating the young theoretician and smashing to smithereens all his positions, which seemed to him so firmly established and inviolable.

The state of complete mental disorder that Raskolnikov fell into after the murder, the complete loss of all his life affirmations, a painful and terrible state showed how powerless personal human logic is when it runs counter to the general life foundations.

Dostoevsky's novel "Crime and Punishment" is a story about how long and hard it doubted, hesitated, fought, rushed about the soul of a person between conscience and reason, good and evil. It was a stubborn, exhausting struggle, and at the end of it comes the recognition of conscience, truth, purification and renewal of man.

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is the protagonist of the novel. He is a “former student”, forced to leave his studies due to lack of money, living in the poorest quarter of St. Petersburg in a closet that looks more like a closet. But he is an intelligent person, a person capable of assessing the reality surrounding him. It was in such an environment where the hero is forced to live that his inhuman theory could have been born.

Deciding to check which category he himself belongs to, and also to help his mother, sister, Marmeladov, Raskolnikov kills the old pawnbroker, thereby replacing the cause with the investigation, because according to his theory: if a person is extraordinary, then he can afford a crime. And Raskolnikov acts on the principle: if I kill, then I am extraordinary. And he tests his exclusivity not on himself, but on others, using the inhuman means of the way of life against which he opposed.

His human nature does not accept this alienation from people. It turns out that a person cannot live without communicating with people, even one as proud as Raskolnikov. Therefore, the hero's mental struggle becomes more and more intense and confusing, it goes in many directions, and each leads him to a dead end. Raskolnikov still believes in the infallibility of his idea and despises himself for weakness, for mediocrity; now and then he calls himself a scoundrel. But at the same time, he suffers from the impossibility of communicating with his mother and sister, thinking about them is as painful for him as thinking about the murder of Lizaveta. And he tries not to think, because if he starts to think, he will certainly have to decide where, according to his theory, they should be assigned - to what category of people. According to the logic of his theory, they should be assigned to the "lower" category, and, consequently, the ax of another Raskolnikov could fall on their heads and on the heads of Sonya, Poli, Katerina Ivanovna. Raskolnikov must, according to his theory, retreat from those for whom he suffers. Must despise, hate, kill those he loves, and he can't take it. He cannot bear the thought that his theory is similar to the theories of Luzhin and Svidrigailov, he hates these theories, but has no right to this hatred. “Mother, sister, how I love them! Why do I hate them now? Raskolnikov's human nature here most sharply clashed with his inhuman theory. But the theory won. And so Dostoevsky, as it were, comes to the aid of his hero. Immediately after this monologue, he describes Raskolnikov's third dream: he kills the old woman again, and she laughs at him. A dream in which the author brings Raskolnikov's crime to the people's court. This scene reveals the whole horror of Raskolnikov's deeds.

The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche created the theory of “blond beasts”, “pure-blooded Aryans.” “People are divided into masters and slaves, masters are strong personalities, superhumans - everything is allowed!” Later, this theory served as the basis for the creation of a fascist ideology, which brought many misfortunes and troubles for all mankind.

An end for which wrong means are required is not a right end.

Creates first, if we take into account only his ideological novels. In the center of the image is the main character Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, to whom all the threads of the story are reduced. Raskolnikov's theory in the novel "Crime and Punishment" becomes a connecting and symbolic element, thanks to which the work acquires integrity and completeness.

A young man living in a shabby rented closet is walking along the streets of St. Petersburg and plotting some kind of business. We do not yet know what Raskolnikov is thinking about, but from his painful state it is clear that this is a crime. He decides to kill the old pawnbroker. However, one murder leads to another. To eliminate the witness, he has to kill Alena Ivanovna's younger sister, Lizaveta Ivanovna. After the crime, the life of the hero becomes unbearable: he is in the hell of his own thoughts and passions, he is afraid that he will be discovered. As a result, Raskolnikov himself makes a confession, and he is sent to hard labor.

Genre originality of the novel

A brief retelling suggests that this novel can be considered as a detective novel. However, this is too narrow a framework for Dostoevsky's profound work. After all, in addition to a thorough depiction of the picture of the crime, the author also resorts to accurate psychological sketches. Some researchers unequivocally attribute the work to the genre of an ideological novel, because it comes to the fore in the novel "Crime and Punishment" it becomes known not immediately, only after the murder. However, from the very first chapters it is clear that the hero is not just a maniac, his act is supported by some rational reasons.

What pushes Raskolnikov to kill?

First, the terrible living conditions. A former student who was forced to drop out due to lack of money, Raskolnikov lives in a cramped closet with torn wallpaper. His clothing looks like someone else would be ashamed to wear it. The day before, he receives a letter from his mother, in which she informs that his sister Dunya is marrying a wealthy man who is older than her. Of course, she is driven by need. The old pawnbroker is rich, but she is very stingy and angry. Raskolnikov thinks that her money could help many, not just his family. The theory is supported by one minor character - a student whom the hero sees in a tavern. This student is talking to an officer. In his opinion, the old woman is a vile creature, she is not worthy to live, but her money could be divided between the poor and the sick. All this reinforces Raskolnikov's idea that he must be killed.

Raskolnikov's theory in the novel "Crime and Punishment"

In which chapter do we learn that the hero had his own theory? Porfiry Petrovich in the fifth chapter of the third part speaks of Raskolnikov's article, which he wrote when he was still a student. He cites this article as an accusation. Indeed, in it, Rodion divided people into two categories: the right of those who have the right and the trembling creatures. The first - the powers that be - can decide destinies, influence the course of history. The second is the material. By committing the murder of an old woman, Raskolnikov wants to prove to himself that he belongs to the first category. However, the torment that the murder delivers to him suggests otherwise. In the end, we, the readers, understand that Raskolnikov's Theory in the novel Crime and Punishment is doomed to failure from the very beginning: it is inhuman.

The idea of ​​duality in the novel

A huge role in revealing the theory and character of Raskolnikov is played by the so-called twin heroes. There are many of them in the novel, but the most striking are Luzhin and Svidrigailov. Thanks to these characters, Raskolnikov's theory is refuted in the novel Crime and Punishment. The table shows the similarities and differences between the three characters.

Criterion	Luzhin	Svidrigailov	Raskolnikov
Theory	You need to live for yourself, "love yourself alone"	Man is allowed to do everything	A strong person can do as he sees fit. Weak (trembling creatures) - only building material
deeds	Wants to marry Dunya in order to have power	Harassed Dunya, drives a servant to suicide, molested a girl, overheard Raskolnikov's confession	Kills an old pawnbroker and her sister
	Makes false accusations against Sony	Gave money to orphans Marmeladov	Helps the Marmeladovs, saves children from a fire
		Committed suicide	Confesses to a crime

The table shows that the most sinful of all three is Luzhin, because he never admitted his sins, did not do a single good deed. Svidrigailov, before his death, managed to atone for everything with one good deed.

Raskolnikov hates and despises both of them, because he sees his resemblance to them. All three are obsessed with inhuman theories, all three sin. The most thoughtful is Raskolnikov's theory in the novel Crime and Punishment (the hero's quotes confirm this). He cynically calls the old woman "louse", says that he wanted to become Napoleon.

Everything that happens in a novel is an idea. Even the behavior of the protagonist. A special role in the novel is also played, in particular, by the last dream of a pestilence, thanks to which it becomes clear how destructive Raskolnikov's theory in a novel on a similar topic cannot do without deciphering this dream. If everyone thought the way Raskolnikov did, then the world would have collapsed long ago.

conclusions

So, the inhuman theory of Raskolnikova in the novel "Crime and Punishment" is refuted by the author, who calls on people to live according to the laws of God. No rational reason can justify the killing of a person, whatever he may be.