The Brothers Karamazov is a novel based on interconnectedness. Everything, from the plot, characters, and themes are all intricately connected by forces that seem to extend beyond the physical. Elder Zosima (arguably the spiritual and philosophical epicenter of the novel), explicitly delves into these ideas of interconnectivity through his teachings/sermons and we see how the acceptance (or negligence) of his teachings can heavily affect a given character’s future. Alyosha, the youngest of the three (main) brothers, Dostoevsky’s personal “hero” of the novel, and arguably the spiritual successor of Elder Zosima, seems to be the only one of the three brothers to listen to Elder Zosimas teachings, leaving him fulfilled by the end of the novel. The other two brothers, (Dmitri and Ivan) seem to fall prey to the enticing promises of materialism and the physical, while secluding themselves from the spiritual, ultimately leading to their decomposing mental states and spiritual corruption. The idea of “sobornost” (or spiritual unity directly) that we discussed through philosophical readings relates to Elder Zosimas teaching regarding spiritual and the interconnectivity between individuals that play out through the novel. In this paper, Elder Zosima’s teaching will be looked at in depth in order to fully understand his world philosophy, and compare it to similar philosophies of those we have discussed in class. Then, how those teachings apply to the three main brothers in the novel will be explored.
Elder Zosima and The Philosophy of Life
Much of Book 6 of the Brothers Karamazov is dedicated to Elder Zosima. His past is explored in detail and we learn why and how he became such a prominent religious figure. Chapter III of book VI, titled From Talks and Homilies of the Elder Zosima provides particularly useful insight into his general thought processes. This chapter is structured as a sermon that Zosima is giving to his fellow monks. Zosima begins the sermon by exploring why so much of mankind lives in sadness. In his evaluation, he explains that the world has fallen prey to materialism and status. He believes most individuals live their lives for the sake of increasing their luxury; they have fallen prey to the allures of material based hedonism. As Elder Zosima states “For the world says: “You have needs, therefore satisfy them, for you have the same rights as the noblest and richest men. Do not be afraid to satisfy them, but even increase them” (Dostoyevsky, 313). But this leaves individuals feeling hollow and bare, or in a state of “disunity and isolation.” And because “the world” tells them that they are entitled to more and more, they keep seeking happiness through the material. Zosima references a man who was depraved of tobacco while in prison. His lust for tobacco was so strong that he was willing to betray his “idea” (or purpose in life) “just so they would give him some tobacco” (Dosteyevsky, 314). In summary “They [the general population] have succeeded in amassing more and more things, but have less and less joy” (Dosteyevsky, 314). Elder Zosima goes on to explain what he believes to be the true source of happiness in the world; love and mutual responsibility. As he states:
“Love all of God’s creation, both the whole of it and every grain of sand. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love animals, love plants, love each thing. If you love each thing, you will perceive the mystery of God in things. Once you have perceived it, you will begin tirelessly to perceive more and more of it everyday. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an entire universal love”
This is one of many quotes from Elder Zosima that emphasize the importance of unity and connectivity. The “disunity and isolation” (Dosteyevsky, 314) that the material leaves us with can only be reconciled through true and universal love.
But the interconnectivity Elder Zosima speaks of is not limited to positive experiences, our love and connectivity to the world and those who inhabit it comes with a certain level of responsibility; a pact that we all must agree to in which we are all responsible for everything that occurs, the good and the bad. In one of the most well known quotes from the novel, Elder Zosima states:
“There is only one salvation for you: take yourself up, and make yourself responsible for all the sins of men. For indeed it is so, my friend, and the moment you make yourself sincerely responsible for everything and everyone, you will see at once that is really so, that it is you who are guilty on behalf of all and for all. Whereas by shifting your own laziness and powerlessness onto others you will end by sharing in Satan’s pride and murmuring against God.” (Dosteyovsky, 320)
Here, Zosima is heavily emphasizing the idea of responsibility and guilt in everyday life. He is arguing that if you are not constantly feeling the weight of other people’s actions, then you do not have the deep spiritual connections to others and thus are living a secluded and isolated life. It’s important to note that there isn’t supposed to be much of a distinction between these two basic teachings. Elder Zosima’s concept of “love” and “responsibility” are almost identical, and he only separates them in order to convey his points. In short, to love all of God’s creation is to be responsible for all of God’s creations and vice-versa.
Alyosha and his Spiritual Enlightenment
The concept of “Sobernost” (and most of Elder Zosimas other teachings), while Russian in Nature, directly relates to most philosophical concepts we have discussed throughout the course. The four pillars of Christian Eco-poetics (Overlay landscape, relational identity, Marriage as symbolizing theosis, Virtue as the vehicle for realizing human identity in theosis) are all deeply rooted in ideas of spiritual/physical connection. While relational identity is particularly useful for the current discussion, each of the pillars directly relates to the teachings of Elder Zosima. Several of the philosophers we read throughout the course of the year share extremely similar ideologies to that of Elder Zosima. Additionally, a lot of them seem to experience an extremely similar form of enlightenment that Alyosha experiences near the end of Book VII.
Take Symeon the New Theologian for example. In an excerpt from Symeon’s Catechetical Discourses Symeon describes the story of a “young man” who through “fasting and ascetic struggle — attained the vision of the uncreated light.” (Medieval Philosophy, 209) The experience is ethereal, leaving Symeon in almost a trance-like state in which he didn’t know whether “I [Symeon] was in the body, or outside the body” (Medieval Philosophy, 210). He was enraptured. As Symeon states:
“I fell prostrate on the ground, and at once I saw, and behold a great light was immaterially shining on me and seized hold of my whole mind and soul, so that I was struck with amazement at the unexpected marvel and I was, as it were, in ecstasy.” (Medieval Philosophy, 210)
However, this heightened state of ecstasy was short lived and impossible to maintain forever. When Symeon was lowered back down he experienced “grief and pain” (210). As he explains:
“Imagine, Father, if you can,” said he, ‘the pain of being separated from it, the infinity of love, the greatness of this greatest of blessings! I on my part cannot express in words or comprehend with my mind the infinity of this vision.”
The term “infinity of love” closely resembles the dialect Zosima uses when speaking of universal love/responsibility. “Infinity” here represents a universally encompassing idea; the infinity of love is everywhere and everything. And there is “pain” when one separated from “it.” As Elder Zosima explains, those who fall prey to the promises of materialism and neglect their spirituality and “oneness” with the universe feel “disunity and isolation” (Dosteyevsky, 314) and can never experience true happiness. Just as those who do not know the experience “the infinity of love” that Symeon speaks of, are left hollowed and pained.
We see Alyosha reach a similar point of enlightenment near the end of book VII, after he has prayed for Elder Zosima and his encounter with Grushenka.
“The silence of the earth seemed to merge with the silence of the heavens, the mystery of the earth seemed to merge with the silence of the heavens, the mystery of the earth touched the mystery of the stars…. Alyosha stood gazing and suddenly, as if he had been cut down, threw himself to the earth. He did not know why he was embracing it, he did not try to understand why he longed so irresistibly to kiss it, to kiss all of it, but he was kissing it, weeping, sobbing, and watering it with his tears, and he vowed ecstatically to love it, to love it unto ages and ages.” (362)
Just as Symeon reached an ethereal state and found infinite love, Alyosha here is reaching a similar state. The way the “mystery” and “silence” of the heavens and earth merged to Alyosha is representative of his enlightenment and “sobornost.” The physical and the spiritual (represented by earth and heaven respectively) temporarily had no bounds to Alyosha, they became one ethereal entity and he understood them both together. This left Alyosha feeling a rush of emotions. As Symeon experienced “amazement at the unexpected marvel,” so too Did Alyosha. He reacted by frantically kissing the earth, physically showing his love and appreciation for the physical. Again, this all ties back into Elder Zosima’s preachings of love and responsibility. When Alyosha reached his lowest point, mutual understanding and acceptance of responsibility is what allowed him to experience the “universal love” that Zosima believes to be the root of true happiness.
Ivan and Demetri
Unlike Alyosha, the two eldest Karamazov’s do not end up in as pleasurable positions as Alyosha by the end of the Novel. Demetri is found guilty by the court and sent to work in the Siberian mines while Ivan’s mental state deteriorates rapidly, both of them left in a state of mental chaos. Both Ivan and Demetri throughout the course of the novel somewhat reject their spiritual side and focus primarily on their own material satisfaction, that is until they are forced to reconcile with their spiritual side by the end of the novel.
Dimitri, much like Fyodor, is a man immersed in the material world; he drinks, loves women, and tends to have some violent outbreaks. However, unlike Fyodor, over the course of the novel he becomes increasingly aware of his relationship with others and the world around him but is unable to make peace with it. Demetri, to me, is the most balanced of the three brothers; he is not overwhelmingly spiritual like Alyosha nor is he over analytical like Ivan. He lives for himself and what he wants more than anything. Demetri is a sensualist, but as said before he is not ignorant to the world around him and progressively becomes more and more aware of the consequences of his action, and in this lies his ability to be saved. His time in Siberia is meant to be a time of true reflection and thought as he mulls over his past actions and strives to be a better man. Mochulsky writes “He has to pass through the purification of suffering, through the torment of conscience and the spiritual death of penal servitude in order that the flame of Eros, which has caught fire in him might become a spiritual force that transfigures the world” (Mochulsky, 613).
Ivan even more so than Demitri is diametrically opposed to the teachings of Elder Zosima. Ivan is arguably the “smartest” of the brothers (in terms of traditional education), he is an atheist; he adamantly believes that there is no God (and that even if there was a God, he is cruel and evil and thus not worth looking up to). He particularly cites the suffering of children as a primary example. Ivan lives in his studies, looking for a reason behind everything and rejecting that which he cannot comprehend. But this does not mean that Ivan is cold hearted, it’s quite the opposite actually. Ivan denies the existence of God because of his love for man. As Mochulsky states: “With his mind he rejects that which he loves with his heart, considers his love senseless and indecent.” (Mochulsky,614) And herein lies the reasoning for Ivan’s complete mental breakdown by the end of the novel. As stated previously, Elder Zosima’s world philosophy revolves around the idea of universal love and responsibility. Ivan, the rationalist he is, sees no outlet for God in modern life. He has completely removed himself from feeling in order to seek some objective truth, but in doing so he has lost touch with reality.
Conclusion
To reiterate, inter connectivity is at the heart of the Brothers Karamazov. The central themes of sobernost, love, and mutual responsibility are what makes the story progress and the characters tick. Elder Zosima’s teachings all boil down to the essential pillars of christianity; To love one another and take responsibility for one’s own and all other actions. The themes of this novel connect to virtually every philosophical reading we have done in this course, as most of the reading have at least at some point, but I thought Symeon the New Theologian’s enlightenment experience was so closely related to that of Alyosha’s that it was worth discussing. The emphasis that Symeon placed on “infinite love” closely mirrored Zosima’s theory of “universal love,” both of which can be directly applied to Alyosha’s spiritual awakening as well as the lack of spiritual engagement seen in many of the other characters in the novel.
I focused on the other two brothers in this paper because they work as a trinity. as Mochulsky states:
“This is an organically collective personality in its triple structure: the principle of reason is embodied in Ivan: he is a logician and a rationalist an innate skeptic and negator: the principle of feeling is represented by Dmitry: in him is the ‘sensuality of insects’ and the inspiration of eros; the principle of will, realizing itself in active love as an ideal, is presented in Alyosha. (Mochulsky, 597,598).”
The three brothers work together in unison. Ivan represents the logistical, and rational. He is skeptical of God because he sees the injustices in the world around him and cannot rationalize to himself that a good God exists. Ivan has positive qualities in that he is intelligent and questioning, but these qualities cloud his ability to connect with the world on a spiritual level, leaving him deranged. Demetri represents emotion. Demetri lives primarily for himself and his desires. This quality is good to an extent, as a life without pleasure is arguably a life not worth living, but similarly to Ivan, his drive for pleasure will often go too far. He searches for pleasure in the material world, which directly goes against Elder Zosima’s core beliefs and ultimately leaves him in a state of disunity and isolation, just as Elder Zosima explains. Lastly there is Alyosha. Alyosha too goes through his own spiritual journey throughout the course of the novel, however, he has always had his faith in the right place, even at a young age. He is described to be “an early lover of mankind” (Dostoyevsky, 18), he was always considered effusive, he was not talkative but he was always liked by everyone he spoke to. The narrator states: “Thus he possessed in himself, in his very nature, so to speak, artlessly and directly, the gift of awakening a special love for himself” (Dostoyevsky, 19). And therein lies Alyosha’s success throughout the novel. His simple minded, kind, and loving attitude made him loving to all and impossible to hate. He is the embodiment of Elder Zosima’s teachings and the core of Christianity, that being, to love one another.
Works Cited:
- Dostoyevsky, Fyodor, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. The Brothers Karamazov. Vintage Classics. New York: Vintage Books, 1991.
- Mochulsky, Konstaintin. Dosteyvsky; His Life and Work: Translate and Introduction by Michael A. Minhan. Princeton University Press, 1967