Beneath the Surface: Rationalism, Utilitarianism, and Socialism in Dostoevsky’s Underground
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This paper explores Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground through an interdisciplinary lens, interrogating its critique of 19th‑century rationalism, utilitarianism, and socialism via the psychology of the Underground Man. Drawing on Karl Marx, Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, and Jeremy Bentham, it illuminates themes of alienation, free will, rationality, and self‑destruction, revealing the protagonist’s intellectual arrogance and self‑imposed isolation. By examining his fantasies of the Palace of Crystal, his masochistic enjoyment of suffering, and his manipulative interactions, the analysis demonstrates how the novella forewarns against overthinking, inaction, and systemic alienation. This study deepens our understanding of Dostoevsky’s contribution to existentialist thought, showing how his fictional case anticipates contemporary concerns – such as “analysis paralysis” in the digital age – and underscores enduring tensions between individual freedom and social cohesion. As a literary and theoretical analysis without empirical validation, this work is contingent on the subjective interpretation of primary and secondary texts. Its scope excludes gendered and postcolonial readings, which may yield further insights into the novella’s social critique.
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