Pro Et Contra:Doubt And Belief In The Brothers Karamazov

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky explicated his deep thoughts on God,Human being and Society mainly by the way of novel-writing as a litterateur,not in a simple or straightforward way,but a dialectical one.Dostoevsky had perfected the use of dialectics.He wrote the majority of his novels in this way,especially his swan song The Brothers Karamazov.This thesis analyses Dostoyevsky’s deep thoughts,positive and negative expressions and pro et contra(pro and con)on Theodicy,Love and Freedom in The Brothers Karamazov on the basis of text-analysis.The thesis is divided into three chapters.Chapter I states Dostoyevsky’s positive and negative expressions on Theodicy.The negative one comes from the long talk between Ivan and Alyosha in a tavern while the positive one is from Father Zossima’s Exhortations.Ivan points out that the fact that children "so far innocent”have suffered a lot has made him to decide not to accept the world God created.While Father Zossima points out that every one is really sinful in the perspective of original sin,that innocent children are bearing sufferings for the rest,just like the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.Chapter II explains the question of love,a question raised by Ivan and Madame Hohlakov as if by prior agreement:Is positive love possible or not?Ivan points out that unlike Jesus,one cannot offer a absolutely devotional and selfless love.Madame Hohlakov says that positive love cannot stand long without the others’ gratitude.Father Zossima identifies the key to this question is not a rapid pursuit of a devotional and selfless love but trying best to achieve specific and individual kindness.Chapter III explains the most important chapter in The Brothers Karamazov,The Grand Inquisitor in the theme of freedom:The relevance between freedom and miracle,mystery and authority that the Grand Inquisitor named,man’ s choice from temptations stated above and freedom and the true meaning of that silent kiss of Jesus at the end of The Grand Inquisitor.In the epilogue,the author of this thesis points out that as a master of dialectics,the dialectical way in which Dostoyevsky put out his ideas gives thinking endless tension and possibility,making it deeper and enduringly appealing.