Dostoevsky’s Existential Philosophy: A New Contribution to freedom

This paper highlights Dostoevsky’s existential philosophy, emphasizing his portrayal of characters who are perpetually tormented and deeply troubled in their search for the meaning of existence. Like other existential philosophers, Dostoevsky deeply respects human aspirations, even the humblest and most base desires in contemporary Russian society. Hence, Dostoevsky’s existential philosophy consistently emphasizes spiritual freedom. The new contribution presented here lies in analyzing Dostoevsky’s fundamental existential concepts, specifically his views on spiritual freedom and the process by which existential subjects achieve spiritual freedom. This article affirms Dostoevsky’s novel contributions to the category of freedom, including developments in understanding freedom, delineating paths toward authentic freedom, and through this, establishing the “Russian character” for the Russian people.