great man theory revisited

[axon]

I believe that this is the most appropriate forum for my post. I've been recently asked an extremely interesting question which I am hoping will lead to an essay of some sort. Well the question as posed to me (yes, I did write it down as you don't get asked such things too frequently  )

how are the characters Kirilov and the Grand Inquisitor two diametrically opposite resolutions of the “Great Man” theory.?

what do you guys think?

[Lev]

Hmm... never thought of them together before. Could you describe "the Great Man theory" further? When I compare them (this may not relate) it seems like they both have the same assumption (no God) but different ways of "saving" people. One wants to open their eyes, the other wants to close them. Kirillov wants to help mankind by showing them that it is now their will... a "fearful freedom" whereas the Inquisitor wants to shelter them via the surrender of their freedom. Kirillov hopes that the future man will be able to "grow into" this new position. The Inquisitor wants the people to be somewhat "happy" in the present life. It is an excellent question. Let me know how it goes.

[axon]

well I was talking about the "great man" theory from C+P, because it is a recurring theme throughout all the books. My ideas tend to go towards that Kirilov is searching for a utopia and the grand inquisitor is searching for a dystopia. Or something like that...below I am posting some notes that  will sooner or later be incorporated into an essay dealing with this subject.

I warn that these are just notes and ideas....many subject to change
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The Grand Inquisitor wants to be god in so far that he wants absolute power and to rule over the “blind” populous. The Grand Inquisitor wants to tell people what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. He wants total submission and allegiance from the people and as a way of compensation he will take on everyone’s sins. In order to achieve his goals the Grand Inquisitor uses mystification, superstition and authority. It all comes down to the fact that the Grand Inquisitor promises man everything in exchange for the one thing that makes man….man: freedom, “for nothing has ever been more insupportable for a man and a human society than freedom” (TBK p 233). The Grand Inquisitor preaching Christ’s word is nothing like Christ and is indeed more like the devil that tempts people just like Christ was tempted in the Biblical story. The Grand Inquisitor wants to erase all aspects of personal choice by instilling universal happiness through his world.
Kirilov, on the other hand, embodies everything that the Grand Inquisitor wants to vanquish. He embodies absolute freedom and absolute power of choice. He commits suicide not to test God but to show his freedom to the world. A true God permits this act, and many others similar to that…the fake god which the Grand Inquisitor permits only the acts he sees fit for the “majority” happiness. The Grand Inquisitor wants to rule among a universal happiness and Kirilov thinks that, “when all mankind achieves happiness, there will be no more time, for there won’t be any need for it” (Devils p 243).
The Grand Inquisitor not only wants to take the freedom away but he wants people to hate the very idea of freedom, “they will marvel at us and look on us as gods, because we are ready to endure the freedom which they have found so dreadful and to rule over them – so awful it will seem to them to be free” ( TBK p 234). He wants the people to be like “sheep” and wants to shape them into a submissive oppressed mass that is happy and glad to be oppressed.  
Kirilov reached the ultimate height of faith in God and Christ by saying on page 613, “I am the only man in universal history that for the first time refused to invent God.” By this sentence it is clear that Kirilov’s believe is pure faith and the act of suicide is just strengthening of that faith. Even though that the Grand Inquisitor is a “messenger of Christ” he is at a totally different level then Kirilov. Kirilov represents faith and love and the Grand Inquisitor represents fear and lust.

[Lev]

Oh, okay. That seems to be a recurring theme here, too --  . What you said about Kirillov is interesting. Would you believe that I interpret him in a completely opposite way? Ha ha... . It seems to me that he said he himself was God, since he thought that there was no God. He did have faith in something: in a future change. It is sort of on the lines of the "perhaps" in this quote from Nietzsche: "There is a lake which one day refused to flow off and erected a dam where it had hitherto flowed off: ever since, this lake has been rising higher and higher. Perhaps that very renunciation [of a God/gods] will also lend us the strength to bear the renunciation itself; perhaps man will rise ever higher when he once ceases to flow out into a god." It's a hope that man will surpass man. Or that's my opinion, anyway . That's sort of like the "great man" theory... What do you think?

[urmomgoestocollege]

raskolnikov is obsessed with himself and the fact that he is somehow a superior man. he has no punishment for his actions as he says in chp 5 book three. and he goes into greeat detail of how one becomes a superior man. i think it is total bogus. no one is above the law and no one can possibly be more a better man than another. nihi or whatever that guys namme is had some great idea but some realy dumb ones too like the superman theory

[r12]

Crime and Punishment is a great example of the impossibility of a superhuman or extraordinary man. Raskolnikov aspires to be such a person, but suffers because of his attempts to. When any human being attempts to be God, they fail. Why? Because we are too proud, and we aren't perfect. If anyone tries to be God, a flawless and devine being, but does it out of proud and sinful intentions, or even without, it simply impossible because no human can be pure. Why is sin bad? It's not just to put limitations on us as Nietzche believes. It's because in addition to hurting God, we hurt others, and most of all we hurt ourselves. This is illustrated in Raskolnikov's guilt, fear, paranoia, and dimentia after he murders the two women. Whenever we try to have our own agenda that conflicts with God's pure agenda, it doesn't work and this is why. Therefore, a superhuman cannot exist because everyone who tries to take control of the world, is doing so out of want for power, which is greed and pride. The only pure superhuman to ever live, Jesus Christ, was powerful because he was humble. He never tried to assert his power over people, even though as God he could have, but he lowered himself to serve them. This pureness is the only way to have power. But hey, what power hungry wannabe superhuman wants to live a life of humility?