The Motif of Beauty in F.M. Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot

The article examines the cultural, historical, philosophical-aesthetic, and theological contexts of the aphorism “beauty will save the world”. Some researchers believe that for Dostoevsky “beauty” is Christ Himself; others argue that the aphorism denotes the main problem of the novel The Idiot. The...

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Main Author: Sergey S. Sharakov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Russian Academy of Sciences. A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature 2022-05-01
Series:Достоевский и мировая культура: Филологический журнал
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dostmirkult.ru/images/2022-2/02_Sharakov_40-53.pdf
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author Sergey S. Sharakov
author_facet Sergey S. Sharakov
author_sort Sergey S. Sharakov
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description The article examines the cultural, historical, philosophical-aesthetic, and theological contexts of the aphorism “beauty will save the world”. Some researchers believe that for Dostoevsky “beauty” is Christ Himself; others argue that the aphorism denotes the main problem of the novel The Idiot. The article identifies the semantics of the concept “beauty will save the world”. The study also focuses on the motif of beauty in the novel. Aglaia’s words about “chivalrous platonic love” point to the philosophical and aesthetic tradition of Plato’s philosophy of eros and to Schiller’s theory of the “aesthetic man”. Prince Myshkin was a supporter of the Platonic principle of elevation from the sensual to the ideal. Ippolit points out the anagogical nature of beauty. Ippolit’s question about how the apostles could believe in Christ’s resurrection if there was no beauty on the face of the crucified Savior introduces the gospel narrative of Christ’s suffering on the Cross and the foundation of the faith of the apostles involving repentance. In the Gospel, the principle of anagogy and repentance are understood as stages in the knowledge and understanding of God. Myshkin’s problem is that he offers his neighbor a strategy of anagogy without taking into account repentance.
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spelling doaj.art-2584056c2e3a4f27ad6be97525d164ec2022-12-22T02:29:48ZengRussian Academy of Sciences. A.M. Gorky Institute of World LiteratureДостоевский и мировая культура: Филологический журнал2619-03112712-85122022-05-012 (18)405310.22455/2619-0311-2022-2-40-53The Motif of Beauty in F.M. Dostoevsky’s Novel The IdiotSergey S. Sharakov0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7059-9918Branch of the Novgorod State Museum “F.M. Dostoevsky Memorial House-Museum”The article examines the cultural, historical, philosophical-aesthetic, and theological contexts of the aphorism “beauty will save the world”. Some researchers believe that for Dostoevsky “beauty” is Christ Himself; others argue that the aphorism denotes the main problem of the novel The Idiot. The article identifies the semantics of the concept “beauty will save the world”. The study also focuses on the motif of beauty in the novel. Aglaia’s words about “chivalrous platonic love” point to the philosophical and aesthetic tradition of Plato’s philosophy of eros and to Schiller’s theory of the “aesthetic man”. Prince Myshkin was a supporter of the Platonic principle of elevation from the sensual to the ideal. Ippolit points out the anagogical nature of beauty. Ippolit’s question about how the apostles could believe in Christ’s resurrection if there was no beauty on the face of the crucified Savior introduces the gospel narrative of Christ’s suffering on the Cross and the foundation of the faith of the apostles involving repentance. In the Gospel, the principle of anagogy and repentance are understood as stages in the knowledge and understanding of God. Myshkin’s problem is that he offers his neighbor a strategy of anagogy without taking into account repentance.http://dostmirkult.ru/images/2022-2/02_Sharakov_40-53.pdfbeautyprinciple of anagogyplato’s erosaesthetic manrepentance
spellingShingle Sergey S. Sharakov
The Motif of Beauty in F.M. Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot
Достоевский и мировая культура: Филологический журнал
beauty
principle of anagogy
plato’s eros
aesthetic man
repentance
title The Motif of Beauty in F.M. Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot
title_full The Motif of Beauty in F.M. Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot
title_fullStr The Motif of Beauty in F.M. Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot
title_full_unstemmed The Motif of Beauty in F.M. Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot
title_short The Motif of Beauty in F.M. Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot
title_sort motif of beauty in f m dostoevsky s novel the idiot
topic beauty
principle of anagogy
plato’s eros
aesthetic man
repentance
url http://dostmirkult.ru/images/2022-2/02_Sharakov_40-53.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT sergeyssharakov themotifofbeautyinfmdostoevskysnoveltheidiot
AT sergeyssharakov motifofbeautyinfmdostoevskysnoveltheidiot