Dostoevsky's Political Thought

This collection explores a series of contentions that Dostoevsky expounded primarily in his novels beginning with Crime and Punishment and concluding with The Brothers Karamazov. * The Russian Review *
[T]he volume’s invitation to explore the political dimension of Dostoevskii’s thought deserves to be taken seriously. * Slavic Review *
Nearly every reader of Dostoevsky knows the profundity of his portrayals of evil, utilitarianism, freedom, servility, humility, humiliation, rebellion, God, and love. Yet few scholars as the ones assembled by Lee Trepanier and Richard Avramenko have seen the political significance of these portrayals with such acuity. Rarer still is it to find such an exhaustive scope of his writings scrutinized for their political teachings. Leo Strauss once claimed that modern readers are fortunate if they have a natural preference for Jane Austen over Dostoevsky. The contributors to this volume demonstrate why modern readers are fortunate if they do read Dostoevsky carefully. These contributors show us why Dostoevsky is one of the most profound guides to the human condition in the modern age, and in any age. -- John von Heyking, University of Lethbridge
Combining two classic articles with a number of new ones, this volume makes a powerful case for seeing Dostoevsky as a thinker who gives form and substance to the discontents of our present age of global liberal consensus. For anyone ever captivated by Dostoevsky’s knowledge of the human soul, these essays provide provocative reflections on the social and political implications of his insight. They offer an illuminating picture of the contemporary appreciation of Dostoevsky as an artist committed to unraveling the mystery of human experience. -- Joseph Alulis, North Park University