relating to existentialism vs. nihilism

[srawi]

relating to the existentialism and nihilism topic, is Dostoevsky's main philosophy nihilism then? because in crime and punishment he discusses/mentions this philosophy a lot and it is expressed through the characters.

[Astolfo]

  FD's "main philosophy"? You mean like the one he doesn't use on week ends?

    If after reading C'n'P you have arrived to the conclusion that "he discusses/mentions" nihilism quite a lot, which makes you infer that nihilism is FD's "main philosopy", what can I say? Read the book again. You evidently missed the whole point.

   FD's philosophical outlook -and his literary style-  changed dramatically throughout his life, as can be seen for instance in  the change in his political positions: started as a revolutionary radical, ended more or less a Slavophile (and I say more or less because he was STILL in evolution in the last years of his life).

   Nihilism and solipsism (Max Stirner) are essential to understand Raskolkinov's philosophical motivations for his crime. But that's half the story. The "punishment" bit is clearly anti-nihilistic and, though not as flat-out Christian as some of the succesive novels, it points that way.

   I suggest you take your time and read the book calmly, trying to understand its ideas. You evidently have not done it.

[Mogwai]

I suggest you take your time and read the book calmly, trying to understand its ideas. You evidently have not done it.

Let's be a little more civil, Astolfo.  I'm not going to tolerate "intellectual elitism" here anymore.  People can disagree without being disagreeable.

[Astolfo]

   I'll keep a lid on the elitism, but you have to admit that I wasn't just disagreeable with with srawi -and if i was, I apologize, no problem- I also pointed out a few facts about FD's intellectual evolution, and the importance of nihilism in C'n'P, that could be very useful for him.

  Or at least I hope so.