The Grand Inquisitor
JACKIE BARRIERE stc The Grand Inquisitor
The Grand Inquisitor is a chapter in Dostoyevsky’s classic novel “The Brothers Karamazov.” The Greater novel itself is a philosophical debate on God, free will, human nature and morality written by Dostoevsky over 2 years and published in 1880. As with all of Dostoyevsky’s novels it is set in a modernizing Russia and it is a deep psychological study of faith and reason, as well as the doubt, psychology, moral decisions and the thought processes that occur during man’s journey to enlightenment and greater awareness. Although The Brothers Karamazov itself is a work of art and one of the greatest novels ever written the true genius of “The Grand Inquisitor” chapter is that it is a profound discussion on faith, reason and religion, on its own, and the chapter works as an independent study of the greater novels philosophical questions. Although I have done a lot of thinking myself on the topics discussed in “The Grand Inquisitor” I have been especially moved during the reading of this chapter and in my opinion it is the most profound discussions of religious philosophy I have ever read. Even as I write this paper my opinions on the complex questions Dostoyevsky examines, the irony that flows through much of the parable and the reasons for Dostoyevsky writing the parable are in constant change – as with all matters of deep philosophy these issues will probably never be fully resolved; that is why “The Grand Inquisitor” is as remarkable today as it was 123 years go.
The Grand Inquisitor chapter is a parable told by Ivan to Alyosha. Alyosha is a novice monk and Ivan uses the parable in an attempt to explain why Ivan is an atheist. The chapter itself is set in the time of the Inquisition. A time in which the church held a level of extreme religious power over all people and the State. A time when many