Utilitarianism in Crime and Punishment Essay -- Crime Punishment Essay

Utilitarianism in Crime and Punishment Raskolnikovs mathematical valuation of the moralistic dilemma presented to him in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment exemplifies the empirical glance of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism attempts to distinguish between right and wrong by measuring a decision based on its calculated worth. Raskolnikov appears to employ the fundamentals of utilitarianism by pitting the negative consequences of murdering his venerable landlady against the positive benefits that her money would bestow onto society. However, a true follower of utilitarianism would be outraged at Raskolnikovs claim that murdering the old woman can be considered morally right. Raskolnikov arbitrarily leaves out rough necessary considerations in his moral equation that do not wedge to utilitarianism. A utilitarian would argue that Raskolnikov has not reached an acceptable solution because he has not accurately solved the problem. On the another(prenominal) hand, a non-ut ilitarian would disavow even the notion of deliberating about the act of murder in such(prenominal) a mathematical manner. He might contend that Raskolnikovs reasoning, and the entire speculation 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 speculation of right actions and the scheme 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 atomic number 18 at least as good as any 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. translation 1992 June, 93 (6) 49-5 3. Rosenshield, Gary The Realization of the Collective Self The Birth of Religious record in Dostoevskis Zapiski iz Mertvogo Doma. Slavic Review 1991 Summer 50 (2) 317-27. Panichas, George A. The World of Dostoyevsky. in advance(p) 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(prenominal) Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and the impossible Sermon on the Mount. Christianity Today 17 July 1991 38-41.