Utilitarianism In Crime And Punishment
How to Get Away With Murder
Morality and the concept of morals define each individual. Morality is doing what “good” or what is just, and refers to the code of conduct that governs those who wish to behave according to that code (Stanford, 2014). By all those who believe in the existence of morality, the values and ethics set forth must not be overridden for fear of both corporeal and mental punishment. Such responsibilities tie friends together and split enemies. Moral obligations can even be taken to the extreme of ending another’s life for the common welfare of a society.
In Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov, the protagonist, bears a moral rationale that leads him to murder Alyona Ivanovna, a harsh pawbroker. Through analytical …show more content…
Utilitarianism, in its most basic form, upholds actions resulting in ends that allow for greatest good for the greatest amount of people, and ensures that pleasure is maximized and pain is minimized. Sovereign forces of pleasure and pain drive one’s everyday actions and justify said actions (Bentham, 1789). Raskolnikov's methodical evaluation of the moral dilemma presented to him exemplifies an intrinsic understanding of utilitarianism. Raskolnikov employs the fundamentals of utilitarianism by weighing the pain of the murder against the pleasure maximized by her absence, thus attesting to the justifiability of the …show more content…
“Curse it all!’ he thought suddenly in a fit of uncontrollable fury. ‘Damn the new life!” (Dostoevsky, 108). Both before and after committing the murders, Raskolnikov becomes overwhelmed with hatred and pessimism that result in a nihilist existence. Because of such affirmation of ideals, one could suggest that nihilism could have played a role in the murder, and therefore can justify such an act. Firstly, one would find it difficult to prove nihilism does not advocate for the justification of the murders due to the inability to state the intrinsic good or evil an action. Secondly, over the duration of the novel, Raskolnikov persists on unsentimental and apathetical behavior, another reason Raskolnikov is nihilist. Because of his inability to see the pain of others, Raskolnikov commits the murder, believing that which would put him in the best light. Therefore, nihilism warrants the killing of Alyona
Morality and the concept of morals define each individual. Morality is doing what “good” or what is just, and refers to the code of conduct that governs those who wish to behave according to that code (Stanford, 2014). By all those who believe in the existence of morality, the values and ethics set forth must not be overridden for fear of both corporeal and mental punishment. Such responsibilities tie friends together and split enemies. Moral obligations can even be taken to the extreme of ending another’s life for the common welfare of a society.
In Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov, the protagonist, bears a moral rationale that leads him to murder Alyona Ivanovna, a harsh pawbroker. Through analytical …show more content…
Utilitarianism, in its most basic form, upholds actions resulting in ends that allow for greatest good for the greatest amount of people, and ensures that pleasure is maximized and pain is minimized. Sovereign forces of pleasure and pain drive one’s everyday actions and justify said actions (Bentham, 1789). Raskolnikov's methodical evaluation of the moral dilemma presented to him exemplifies an intrinsic understanding of utilitarianism. Raskolnikov employs the fundamentals of utilitarianism by weighing the pain of the murder against the pleasure maximized by her absence, thus attesting to the justifiability of the …show more content…
“Curse it all!’ he thought suddenly in a fit of uncontrollable fury. ‘Damn the new life!” (Dostoevsky, 108). Both before and after committing the murders, Raskolnikov becomes overwhelmed with hatred and pessimism that result in a nihilist existence. Because of such affirmation of ideals, one could suggest that nihilism could have played a role in the murder, and therefore can justify such an act. Firstly, one would find it difficult to prove nihilism does not advocate for the justification of the murders due to the inability to state the intrinsic good or evil an action. Secondly, over the duration of the novel, Raskolnikov persists on unsentimental and apathetical behavior, another reason Raskolnikov is nihilist. Because of his inability to see the pain of others, Raskolnikov commits the murder, believing that which would put him in the best light. Therefore, nihilism warrants the killing of Alyona