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Dostoevsky and his influence upon the philosophy of Nicolas Berdyaev

University of British Columbia

Dostoevsky--the master novelist--is a unique product of the Russian tradition . He inherited the values of Orthodoxy, of Slavophilism, of Westernism, of rationalism and of romanticism and in his turn contributed to almost every subsequent manifestation in literature from the enlightened mysticism of Aldous Huxley and the pessimism of Hardy to the despair of modern atheist existentialism and the pessimistic optimism of Berdyaev and Marcel. Dostoevsky's work is the joy of all those who delight in paradoxes--and Berdyaev revels in them . His great novels are at the same time different from and more than they seem . They are symbolical and allegorical on the highest level . At least that is how they affect me and how they seem to affect Berdyaev. I would like at this time to express my deep appreciation to Dr. J. St .Clair Sobell, Head of the Department of Slavonic Studies at the University of British Columbia, for his great generosity and encouragement; to Dr. Cyril Bryner for his unflagging assistance, cooperation and understanding; and to Mr. A.W Wainman, who was the first to confront me -with the 'tortured questionings' of Dostoevsky .

Text

2012-02-17

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/40778

European Studies

University of British Columbia

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