Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky; 11 November 1821 – 9 February 1881), sometimes transliterated Dostoevsky, was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist and philosopher. Dostoyevsky's literary works explore human psychology in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmosphere of 19th-century Russia, and engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes...
anxiety born creature freedom gift greater hand man quickly thee tormented whom
I tell Thee that man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find some one quickly to whom he can hand over that gift of freedom with which the ill-fated creature is born
analysis analyzed blindness cruel divine great handed holy indeed left parts power science
Science which has become a great power in the lastcentury, has analyzed everything divine handed down tous in the holy books. After this cruel analysis thelearned of this world have nothing left of all thatwas sacred. But they have only analyzed the parts andoverlooked the whole, and indeed their blindness ismarvelous.
cannot destroy determination firm himself man purpose remain sooner surrounded
Without a firm idea of himself and the purpose of his life, man cannot live, and would sooner destroy himself than remain on earth, even if he was surrounded by bread.
free man painfully remains strives worship
So long as man remains free he strives for nothing so incessantly and painfully as to find someone to worship
honor love martyrs men prophets reject slain whom
Men reject their prophets and slay them, but they love their martyrs and honor those whom they have slain
efforts goal man reach
Without some goal and some efforts to reach it, no man can live.
engage eternally object strive wherever
To strive consciously for an object and to engage in engineering -- that is, incessantly and eternally to make new roads, wherever they may lead.
exist ideas man nation neither sublime
Neither man or nation can exist without a sublime idea.
afraid decent man number stored
There are... things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind.
brains generous guides matter
It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them -- the character, the heart, generous qualities, progressive ideas.
character desired man necessary reduce work
If it were desired to reduce man to nothing, it would be necessary only to give his work a character of uselessness
created devil image likeness man therefore
If the devil does not exist, and man has therefore created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness
admit charming excellent five four twice
I admit that twice two makes four is an excellent thing, but if we are to give everything its due, twice two makes five is sometimes a very charming thing too
virtue
If there is no immortality, there is no virtue