SLAVIC 210 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
16 Mar 2018
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Faith = positive, assenting belief in god practiced by fz and alyosha. Active love of mankind, kindness, forgiveness, and devotion to goodness. Rejection of god through pursuing the truth through the logical examination of evidence. Rejection of conventional notions of morality and a coldness toward mankind and a crippling inner despair. Dostoevsky actively takes the side of faith by illustrating how a life of faith is happier than a life of doubt. People have free will, whether they want it or not. Every individual can choose whether to believe or disbelieve in god, accept or reject morality, and whether to pursue good or evil. Free will is a curse: places a crippling burden on humanity to voluntarily reject the securities, comforts, and protections of the world in favor of the uncertainties and hardships of religious beliefs. Christ won free will for humanity, but took away security. Ivan believes people are weak and can"t deal with the weight of free will.
