Crime and Punishment: Lecture Notes

Dual States of Mind

• State of Frenzy and Abstraction
  • Raskolnikov commits murder in a state of abstraction.
  • Acts seem to occur autonomously.
  • Intensity of the moment: thrill and terror coexist.
  • Urge to taunt those outside after committing the crime.
• Addictive Intensity
  • The intense state becomes addictive.
  • Intensity brings a compelling feeling of presence.

Homecoming and Fever

• The Disease
  • Raskolnikov's theory: criminals are struck by disease.
  • He feels this "disease" after the crime.
• Realization
  • Discovers trinkets in his pockets, not just money.
  • Reflects the irrationality and poor planning of the crime.

Police Station Incident

• Summons to Station
  • Summoned for not paying rent, not the crime itself.
  • Fluctuations between seeking companionship and feeling indifference.
• Sudden Revulsion
  • Indifference to others' opinions.
  • Feels eternal solitude and remoteness.
  • Cut off from human connection due to the murder.

Compassion vs. Misery

• Compassion Leading to Opposite
  • Compassion can lead to unbearable intensity and opposite actions.
  • Example from Dostoevsky’s essay: A mother’s unbearable compassion turns to hate.

Raskolnikov's Dream

• Dreams as Reflection
  • Dreams used to illustrate internal conflicts and subconscious.
  • Police lieutenant beating landlady; confusion between dream and reality.

Influence of Razumikhin

• Razumikhin's Reason and Rationality
  • Represents reason, judgment, and common sense.
  • Criticism of radical and simplistic theories.

Theories and Crime

• Luzhin’s Theories
  • Progressiveness and quoting of theories.
  • Raskolnikov’s sarcasm towards Luzhin’s selfish rationality.
• Rational Self-Interest
  • Theory of self-interest leading to societal good; criticized for enabling selfishness.

Raskolnikov's Inner Conflict

• Pursuit of Intensity
  • Repeated urge to confess for intense experiences, not guilt.
• Return to Crime Scene
  • Returns to scene not out of guilt but to relive intensity.

Symbolism and Allegory

• Marmaladov’s Accident
  • Marmaladov's accident symbolizes the chaos in Raskolnikov’s life.
• Spectacle of Suffering
  • Public fascination with gore and suffering.
  • Critique of human voyeurism and immorality.

Compassion and Isolation

• Acts of Kindness
  • Leaves money for Marmaladov’s family.
  • Misinterprets compassion as strength against police.

Sonia and New Possibilities

• Introduction of Sonia
  • Represents meekness and pure compassion.
  • Contrasts with Razumikhin’s reason and Luzhin’s selfishness.

Complexity of Human Emotion

• Raskolnikov's Justification
  • Theories as post-facto justifications for actions driven by emotion.
• Impact of Theories
  • Theoretical thinking and its potential for mass violence.
  • Dostoevsky’s critique of theoretical simplifications of human nature.

Final Thoughts

• Alternatives to Crime
  • Razumikhin and Sonia as alternatives to Raskolnikov’s path.
  • Exploration of broader existential and moral questions.

These notes summarize the key points and discussions from the lecture on part two of "Crime and Punishment," focusing on the duality of Raskolnikov's mental states, the influence of theories and rationality, and the exploration of human compassion and isolation.