Between the divine and the demonic: Dostoyevsky's 'Demons' and 'The Brothers Karamazov' as portraits of Russian Christian orthodoxy, identity and existentialism

Abstract

Human mind and its conflict with the heart has always been a dominant part of humans as an intellectual being. There are many aspects & phases of existence which humans fail to understand. Modern humans consider themselves as rational but Fyodor Dostoyevsky questions this and points out that reason or rationality is not what defines humanity. Through the investigation of various characters from Dostoyevsky and his contemporary authors as well as authors Dostoyevsky were influenced by. This research investigates the relevance of existential void and how Dostoyevsky form a perception of achieving a divine peace through internal cleansing with his understanding of Christian Orthodoxy and eternal suffering. Moreover, the importance of originality of Russian identity or “Narod” pointing out true Russian way through peasants and people from lower class are also analysed. This research aims to clarify the complex relationship between Christian Orthodoxy’s teaching and people’s eternal search for purpose in the face of suffering where Dostoyevsky’s unique viewpoint creates a mosaic of ideological conflicts, Russian Identity and human psychology through religious and philosophical viewpoint bursting out the Russian socio-political background.