Between Aestheticism and Utilitarianism. The Principles of a New Logic in Dostoevsky

Abstract

The article expresses Dostoevsky’s aesthetic conception through theAbstract: The article expresses Dostoevsky’s aesthetic conception through thefamous question in his novel, The Idiot, ‘Will beauty save the world?’ The author wantsto show how the figure of Christ plays a central role in Dostoevsky’s artistic-literaryconception because it is the key to conciliation between the aesthetic position, whichthinks that art finds its justification in its own essence, and the utilitarian one, whichadvocates that art should have a direct and immediate utility to the service of society.Throughout the article it will be shown that for Dostoevsky, by virtue of the figureof Christ, reconciliation is possible without the two positions having to give up someof their specificities, but keeping both together with all the richness and peculiaritiesof each one.

Keywords

• dostoevsky
• aestheticism
• utilitarianism
• dostoevsky’s philosophy
• dostoevsky’s theology