Notes from Underground

This was probably not the best pick to read as my first exploration of Fyodor Dostoevsky. Notes from Underground consists of two essays that were first published in Russian magazines during the nineteenth century. Both articulated Dostoevsky’s rejection of contemporary philosophers who argued that human reason could be harnessed in pursuit of the beautiful and lofty.

The first essay, “Underground,” features our narrator philosophizing about human nature. In a firm rejection of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Dostoevsky argues that humans possess an inherently evil and dilatory nature and that whether civilized or not, humankind leans toward the promotion of suffering. He also takes aim at Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant, arguing that “want” (desire/appetite) represents a “manifestation of the whole of life—that is, the whole of human life, including reason and various little itches” (28). Of course, this is also an inversion of Aristotle’s allegory of the charioteer whereby the “reason” horse can guide men toward that which is inherently good and profitable. In this case, Dostoevsky argues that “profit” is a malleable and ambivalent guidepost by which mankind determines its actions. His antihero says as much: “that there is this one most profitable profit…which is chiefer and more profitable than all other profits, and for which man is ready, if need be, to go against all laws, that is, against reason, honor, peace, prosperity—in short, against all these beautiful and useful things—only to attain this primary, most profitable profit which is dearer to him than anything else” (22).

The segue to the second essay, entitled “Apropos of Wet Snow,” finds our antihero describing how “in every man’s memories there are such things as he will reveal not to everyone, but perhaps only to friends,” other secrets which he will revel only to “himself, and that in secret. Then, finally, there are such as a man is afraid to reveal even to himself.” This second essay is features three stories, but the climax occurs when the antihero meets a prostitute in a brothel. Her name is Liza. The antihero, in his best application of Enlightenment-era philosophy persuades Liza that while being a prostitute may. Seem to be profitable it is, in fact, much to her detriment in the long term. She is utterly convinced to remove herself from the whore house as soon as possible. She seeks out the antihero at his apartment and rather than finding something more to her “profit,” she is used sexually and kicked back into the street. According to the editor, Dostoevsky’s “prostitute” story is a deliberate parody of contemporary Russian philosophy, wherein the application of reason does NOT lead to a person’s profit.

Again, there is much more here packed tightly into a small volume. I also think that having more context about 19th-century Russian philosophy and literary forms would help the reader make more sense of Dostoevsky’s writing here. Overall a worthwhile read.