Philosophical Viewpoints

Dostoevsky

In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Notes from the Underground”, the Underground Man, argues in opposition to the Enlightment philosophy which grew popular in his era. “Rational egoists” beleive that everything man does is “according to the laws of nature” (Dostoevsky 23). In addition, according to them, by following these natural laws, man can avoid destructive or absurd behavior. The underground Man uses the metaphor of a “piano key”, which creates the same, predictable effect, to portray this philosophy. 

Existentialism 

However, the Underground Man’s existentialist philosophy opposes this theory. He gives harsh criticism of societies intellectual attempts at dictating human actions and behavior. He believes that human’s ability to desire is a beautiful aspect of their nature.  Therefore it is more valuable for humans to make decisions based on their desires even if it runs contrary to their interests because “it is impossible to retain [both] reason and desire” (Dostoevsky 25).  Existentialists believes that “what man needs is simply independent choice, whatever that independence may cost and whatever it may lead” (Dostoevsky 24). The Underground Man’s loneliness depicts the existentialist notion that humans are in isolation from each other because they all make decisions that satisfy their desires, not those are made simply because they have been “worked out on paper” (Dostoevsky 25) for everyone to follow.