Metaphysics of Man in F. Dostoyevsky's Novel «The House of the Dead»

Abstract

The article considers philosophical aspects of the novel «The House of the Dead». In the novel Dostoyevsky shows how the extreme conditions of penal colony expose two metaphysical poles of human essence - dependence of people from each other and the aspiration to dominate over others inherent to them. The second pole corresponds to the concept «will to power» in F. Nietzsche's philosophy. In images of «strong men» of penal colony Dostoevsky shows that the internal power of a person is beyond moral appraisal and can be expressed both negatively and positively.