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

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Author: Sergey S. Sharakov
Information about the author:

DSc in Philology, Senior Researcher, Branch of the Novgorod State Museum “F.M. Dostoevsky Memorial House-Museum”, Dostoevsky Emb. 8, 175200 Staraya Russa, Russia.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7059-9918

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For citation:

Sharakov, S.L. “The Motif of Beauty in F.M. Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot.” Dostoevsky and World Culture. Philological journal, no. 2 (18), 2022, pp. 40–53. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22455/2619-0311-2022-2-40-53
Received: 20 Mar. 2022
Published: 25 June 2022
Issue: 2022 no. 2 (18)
Department: HERMENEUTICS. SLOW READING
Pages: 40-53
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22455/2619-0311-2022-2-40-53
EDN:

https://elibrary.ru/OXWZJF
UDK: 821.161.1.0
BBK: 83.3(2=411.2)
Keywords: beauty, principle of anagogy, Plato’s eros, aesthetic man, repentance.
Abstract: 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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