Description
Book SynopsisRecognized as one of the greatest novelists of all-time, Fyodor Dostoevsky continues to inspire and instigate questions about religion, philosophy, and literature. However, there has been a neglect looking at his political thought: its philosophical and religious foundations, its role in nineteenth-century Europe, and its relevance for us today. Dostoevsky's Political Thought explores Dostoevsky's political thought in his fictional and nonfictional works with contributions from scholars of political science, philosophy, history, and Russian Studies. From a variety of perspectives, these scholars contribute to a greater understanding of Dostoevsky not only as a political thinker but also as a writer, philosopher, and religious thinker.
Trade ReviewThis collection explores a series of contentions that Dostoevsky expounded primarily in his novels beginning with Crime and Punishment and concluding with The Brothers Karamazov. * The Russian Review *
[T]he volume’s invitation to explore the political dimension of Dostoevskii’s thought deserves to be taken seriously. * Slavic Review *
Nearly every reader of Dostoevsky knows the profundity of his portrayals of evil, utilitarianism, freedom, servility, humility, humiliation, rebellion, God, and love. Yet few scholars as the ones assembled by Lee Trepanier and Richard Avramenko have seen the political significance of these portrayals with such acuity. Rarer still is it to find such an exhaustive scope of his writings scrutinized for their political teachings. Leo Strauss once claimed that modern readers are fortunate if they have a natural preference for Jane Austen over Dostoevsky. The contributors to this volume demonstrate why modern readers are fortunate if they do read Dostoevsky carefully. These contributors show us why Dostoevsky is one of the most profound guides to the human condition in the modern age, and in any age. -- John von Heyking, University of Lethbridge
Combining two classic articles with a number of new ones, this volume makes a powerful case for seeing Dostoevsky as a thinker who gives form and substance to the discontents of our present age of global liberal consensus. For anyone ever captivated by Dostoevsky’s knowledge of the human soul, these essays provide provocative reflections on the social and political implications of his insight. They offer an illuminating picture of the contemporary appreciation of Dostoevsky as an artist committed to unraveling the mystery of human experience. -- Joseph Alulis, North Park University
Table of Contents1.Introduction to Dostoevsky’s Political Philosophy – Lee Trepanier Part I: Dostoevsky’s Political Theology 2.Dostoevsky’s Discovery Of The Christian Foundation Of Politics – David Walsh 3.The Politics and Experience of Active Love in The Brothers Karamazov – Lee Trepanier 4.This Star Will Shine Forth From the East: Dostoevsky and the Politics of Humility – Jack Moran 5.Dostoevsky’s Heroines: or, on the Compassion of the Russian Woman – Richard Avramenko and Jingcai Ying Part II: Dostoevsky’s Political Philosophy 6.Philosophical Anthropology and Dostoevsky’s “Legend of the Grand Inquisitor” – Ellis Sandoz 7.Ugliness, Emptiness and Boredom: Dostoyevsky on the Secular Humanist Social Religion – Ethan Alexander-Davey 8.Between Compassion and Misanthropy: On Moral Reasoning in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment – Khalil Habib 9.Freedom from Freedom: on the Metaphysics of Liberty in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment – Richard Avramenko Part III: Dostoevsky and the Modern Hermeneutic 10.Speaking on the Lower Frequencies: Notes from Underground in Ralph Ellison’s America – Steven D. Ealy 11.The End of the Ancient World: Dostoevsky’ Confidence Game – Ron Srigley 12.How Bodies Read and Write: Dostoevsky’s Demons and Coetzee’s Master of Petersburg – Michael S. Kochin About the Authors Works Cited
