Utilitarianism in Crime and Punishment Essay -- Crime Punishment Essay

Utilitarianism in offense and Punishment Raskolnikovs numeral evaluation of the moral dilemma presented to him in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment exemplifies the existential view of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism attempts to distinguish between near and wrong by beat a decision based on its calculated worth. Raskolnikov appears to employ the basic principle of utilitarianism by pitting the negative consequences of murdering his old landlady against the positive benefits that her m aney would summate onto society. However, a true follower of utilitarianism would be knocked out(p)raged at Raskolnikovs accept that murdering the old woman can be considered virtuously right. Raskolnikov arbitrarily leaves out some necessary considerations in his moral equation that do not adhere to utilitarianism. A utilitarian would argue that Raskolnikov has not reached an acceptable rootage because he has not accurately solved the problem. On the other hand, a non-utilitarian wo uld reject even the notion of deliberating about the act of murder in such a mathematical manner. He might contend that Raskolnikovs reasoning, and the finished theory of utilitarianism, cannot be used to judge morality because it rejects individual rights and contains no moral absolutes. A utilitarian bases his belief upon two principles the theory of right actions and the theory of value. These two principles work together and serve as criteria for whether or not a utilitarian can deem an action morally right. First, the theory of right action argues that the morally right decision is the one whose consequences are at least as good as either other availa... ... Gibson, A Boyce. The Religion of Dostoyevsky. Philadelphia Westmenster Press, 1973. Monas, Sidney, trans. Crime and Punishment. By Fyodor Dostoyevsky. New York Penguin, 1968. Morsm, Gary Saul. How to Read. Crime and Punishment. Commentary 1992 June, 93 (6) 49-53. Rosenshield, Gary The Realization of the Col lective Self The Birth of unearthly Autobiography in Dostoevskis Zapiski iz Mertvogo Doma. Slavic Review 1991 Summer 50 (2) 317-27. Panichas, George A. The serviceman of Dostoyevsky. Modern Age 22 346-57 Mann, Robert. Elijah the Prophet in Crime and Punishment. Canadian Slavonic Papers 1981 Sept 23 (3) 261-72. Yancey, Phillip. Be Ye Perfect, More or Less Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and the impossible Sermon on the Mount. Christianity Today 17 July 1991 38-41.