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Dostoyevsky on Voltaire, Christ and Marx

#94: Mar. - May 2011 (Fiction)
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Dostoyevsky on Voltaire, Christ and Marx

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Book 10, Chapter 6 of The Brothers Karamazov, entitled 'Precocity', contains the following exchange between the hero of the book, Alyosha Karamazov (A), and a young boy, Kolya (K). Kolya precociously expresses admiration for the philosopher Voltaire, and indirectly for Karl Marx. It is noteworthy for revealing Dostoyevsky's concern that modern rationalism is a naive, arrogant and dangerous philosophy. He suggests that rationalists claim to be independent and mature thinkers, but in fact are generally derivative and ignorant. In this Dostoyevsky was prescient of the Russian revolution.
A: “What, don’t you believe in God?”

K: “Oh, I’ve nothing against God. Of course, God is only a hypothesis, but ... I admit that He is needed ... for the order of the universe and all that ... and that if there were no God He would have to be invented,” added Kolya, beginning to blush. He suddenly fancied that Alyosha might think he was trying to show off his knowledge and to prove that he was “grown up.” “I haven’t the slightest desire to show off my knowledge to him,” Kolya thought indignantly. And all of a sudden he felt horribly annoyed. “I must confess I can’t endure entering on such discussions,” he said with a final air. “It’s possible for one who doesn’t believe in God to love mankind, don’t you think so? Voltaire didn’t believe in God and loved mankind?” (“I am at it again,” he thought to himself.)

A: “Voltaire believed in God, though not very much, I think, and I don’t think he loved mankind very much either,” said Alyosha quietly, gently, and quite naturally, as though he were talking to some one of his own age, or even older. Kolya was particularly struck by Alyosha’s apparent diffidence about his opinion of Voltaire. He seemed to be leaving the question for him, little Kolya, to settle. “Have you read Voltaire?” Alyosha finished.

K: “No, not to say read.... But I’ve read _Candide_ in the Russian translation ... in an absurd, grotesque, old translation ... (At it again! again!)”

A: “And did you understand it?”

K: “Oh, yes, everything.... That is ... Why do you suppose I shouldn’t understand it? There’s a lot of nastiness in it, of course.... Of course I can understand that it’s a philosophical novel and written to advocate an idea....” Kolya was getting mixed by now. “I am a Socialist, Karamazov, I am an incurable Socialist,” he announced suddenly, apropos of nothing.

A: “A Socialist?” laughed Alyosha. “But when have you had time to become one? Why, I thought you were only thirteen?”

K: Kolya winced. “In the first place I am not thirteen, but fourteen, fourteen in a fortnight,” he flushed angrily, “and in the second place I am at a complete loss to understand what my age has to do with it? The question is what are my convictions, not what is my age, isn’t it?”

A: “When you are older, you’ll understand for yourself the influence of age on convictions. I fancied, too, that you were not expressing your own ideas,” Alyosha answered serenely and modestly, but Kolya interrupted him hotly:

K: “Come, you want obedience and mysticism. You must admit that the Christian religion, for instance, has only been of use to the rich and the powerful to keep the lower classes in slavery. That’s so, isn’t it?”

A: “Ah, I know where you read that, and I am sure some one told you so!” cried Alyosha.

K: “I say, what makes you think I read it? And certainly no one told me so. I can think for myself.... I am not opposed to Christ, if you like. He was a most humane person, and if He were alive to-day, He would be found in the ranks of the revolutionists, and would perhaps play a conspicuous part.... There’s no doubt about that.”

A: “Oh, where, where did you get that from? What fool have you made friends with?” exclaimed Alyosha.
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Re: Dostoyevsky on Voltaire, Christ and Marx

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Kolya even quotes Voltaire without realizing it, if I recall. And that line, if I remember correctly, wasn't in Candide.

Kolya doesn't have a strong grasp of Voltaire and neither do I really but in God and Human Beings he really does show little faith in organized religion and certain groups of people. He's against the lies that have been fed people but isn't against the idea of God. He isn't an Atheist but comes very close. If he had the freedom we enjoy today he may have been 100% Atheist but that's pure speculation.

The conversation between Kolya and Alyosha is pretty awkward in my opinion. Here's a boy of thirteen discussing Voltaire, religion, and Politics. I'm not going to read into it any more than I would had I been sitting next to the two when the conversation was taking place. It's just a boy with ideas -most of which at that age come by way of outside sources and are not fully understood. It's not uncommon for a young (or older) person to take a small piece of information, neglect the rest, and run with it. If the roles were reversed and the boy was spitting up religious dogma in favor of church I would probably think the same thing but I'd probably be a little disappointed that at his age he was already so willing to graze with the other sheep.

I am happy that the boy is expanding his mind rather than being content with what's presented to him as a social norm. He wants to try new things, learn, and be a respected man. His reach exceeds his grasp and that's important for success. He has drive. He will do fine.
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