Dostoevsky's Heritage of Humanism: Why His Dark Genius Teaches Us to Be Human Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky is a writer often called the darkest, most brutal, and "darker" classic of Russian literature. His characters kill, betray, fall into the abyss, lose faith and reason. His pages are soaked in pain, poverty, and hopelessness. It seems that this world has nothing to do with humanism — the teaching of love, kindness, and the dignity of the individual. However, it was Dostoevsky who became one of the most passionate and profound defenders of the human soul in world culture. His humanism is not sweet, not sentimental, it is born in hell, but that is why it is so strong. Humanism Without Illusions: Man as He Is What sets Dostoevsky apart from the Enlightenment thinkers of the 18th century or many of his contemporaries who believed in progress and reason? He does not idealize man. He knows that in man there lives both the beast and the angel, and often the beast proves stronger. His characters are not "good poor people" or "noble robbers," but living people with their baseness, cowardice, pride, and despair. But this is where his humanism lies: he does not turn away from man, even when he is ugly. He seeks a spark in him, even when it is almost extinguished. Take Raskolnikov. He kills the old pawnbroker, justifying himself with the theory of the "right of the strong." Throughout the novel, we see his inner hell: he is tossed about, sick, going mad. Dostoevsky does not give him an easy way out. But in the end, he gives him hope — through Sonya, through Christian humility. This is not an excuse for murder, but an assertion that even the most fallen person is not lost to love. Dostoevsky's humanism lies in his refusal to consider a person hopelessly lost while they are still alive. "The Devils" as a Warning: Humanism Without Faith Is Not Humanism In "The Devils," Dostoevsky shows what happens when a person loses connection with the higher meaning. This is a warn ... Read more