The concept of the erotic, as defined by Andre Lorde in “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power,” is proposed as the solution to the problems of free will in Dostoyevsky’s The Grand Inquisitor. In this essay, I will analyze the story of the Grand Inquisitor and Jesus to critique the false authority the Catholic Church provides, naming a shared community of faith and love as justification for allowing free will to exist without a hierarchal power that attempts to provide security. The Church’s concern for the collective will is suppressing to the singular will, but the social relationships that erotic power relies on constructs a community that is both attentive to the needs of the individual and the public.
Ivan, a young man battling with skepticism and doubt, tells the story of the Inquisitor acting against God because sees the wickedness of human nature. To the Inquisitor, God does not perform in the best interest of humanity because free will is problematic and as a result sees humans as better off under a church that lacks real authority than making decisions on their own. The Inquisitor claims that Christ did wrong in allowing humanity choice, and should have instead chose power to give individuals security instead of freedom. The same people who did not want to follow Jesus would still be condemned, but instead of the crippling burden of moral and emotional freedom, they would have happiness and security in following the Church. If Christ had performed the miracles and given the populace a clear authority to worship, “It [would have] save[d] them the great anxiety...in making a free decision.” (Dostoyevsky) Thus, proven divine, people would not have a choice but to love Christ without question.
However, because Christ denied the three temptations, the collective had free choice to follow the Church. There was doubt about the validity of religion, and it led
The Second Great Awaking consisted of new applications of religion that deviated from rationalism, which sparked promotion of democracy and freedom. The message of salvation rather than condemnation was evident in this movement as spoken by Charles G. Finney. He sought to remove sin from reformed churches and organize sinners to unity and freedom (Doc B). This practice showed the crucial democrati...
Each man trying to correct from within were pushed further and outward away from the goal of unity. We would have a different story if it were only one man who rejected the idea of the Church being one with the world. The individual would have been marked as the antichrist. Instead, we see a few men take a stand for what they felt was the truth, which we had strayed. Noted, Campbell has seen the destruction with takes place when man messes with God’s desire for gathering of the Church. Campbell states, “What awful and distressing effects have those sad divisions produced! What aversions, what reproaches, what backbitings, what evil surmisings, what angry contentions, what enmities, what excommunications, even persecution!!!” (Campbell and Thomas) Campbell’s biggest fight was pulling back the reigns of the world. Campbell extends ejecting all human creeds that cause divisions among Christians. He states, “… for their faith must not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power and veracity of God. Therefore, no such deductions can be made terms of communion, but do properly belong to the after and progressive edification of the Church. Hence, it is evident that no such deductions or inferential truths ought to have a place in the Church’s confession.” (Campbell and Thomas) Reaching out to across all divisions, Campbell has to be unprejudiced. “That although the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inseparably connected, making together but one perfect and entire revelation of the Divine will, for the edification and salvation of the Church, and therefore in that respect cannot be separated.” “From the nature and construction of these propositions, it will evidently appear, that they are laid in a designed subserviency to the declared end of our association; and are exhibited for the express purpose of performing a duty of pervious necessity, a duty loudly called for in
The existence of suffering and evil in the presence of an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God has proved to be one of the most pressing concerns raised in arguments against the existence of God, since the beginning of Christian traditions and beliefs. In Dostoevsky’s work, The Grand Inquisitor, several chapters allude to thoughts on this topic. In chapter 5 of Dostoevsky 's book we see the link between freedom and human suffering. Older philosophers such as Epicurus also had arguments that resonated with Dostoevsky. The freedom bestowed upon us by this all powerful and all loving God has led to much of the suffering present in our world today. Dostoevsky’s argues not against the notion of suffering nor that of a God, but that of a just
The Grand Inquisitor reflects Fyodor Dostoevsky interest in religious and political issues. Dostoevsky uses the voices of his characters to express his views on the legitimacy of the Roman Catholic Church and role of religion in society. The story centers around the conflict between the Grand Inquisitor and Jesus. Jesus returns to Earth during the Spanish Inquisition, when in which Jews and Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity and were murdered if not devoted in their belief. The Grand Inquisitor examines the relationship between man and Christ through a unique narrative style that adds various depths of meaning to the story.
...ian religion, including Protestantism. His actions actually made it simpler to create faith and purpose. What the people were exposed to was highly contradictory. They were being taught in holy halls the teachings of humility and obedience; however, the actions of the clergy were neither of humility nor of obedience. Protestantism and this continued divineness strengthened Christianity and enabled people to transition to a religion to which people could actually witness the humbleness.
In Georges Bastille’s “Eroticism, Death and Sensuality”, Bastille seeks to explain what exactly Eroticism is, the cause of Eroticism, and links created through Eroticism. George Bastille is often regarded by many literary writers such as Foucault states Bastille to be the most influential sexuality writer of the 20th century. Foucault also states he derived many of his believes as a result of reading Bastille’s work. Through Bastille’s work, Bastille attempts to instill what exactly Eroticism is, where Eroticism is derived, and how it applies in society.
Christina Rossetti's, 'Goblin Market' is one of the most controversial poems of it's time. Although she insisted it was meant to be seen as a childrens fairytale, many readers have interpreted it as an erotic poem, many seeing it as a warning for young women against the temptations of sex. The poem has many hidden inuendos. For example the Goblin's describe the fruit in a sensual way, “Plump unpecked cherries” (line 7). Cherries are seen as a sign of virtue so this a clear example of a sexual situation. There is also a very strong religious theme in this poem. The fruit the goblin merchants are offering is a very clear symbol of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit. “Obviously the conscious or semi-conscious allegorial intention of this narrative poem is sexual/religious.” (Gilbert and Gubar, 566). This essay will discuss the theme of sensuous experience in terms of what makes this poem erotic, female sexuality and it also aims to discuss the religious symbolism in Rossetti's, 'Goblin Market'.
Once again, these protests come from an observation of society, not from an understanding of love as a concept. What Pozdnychev strives for is a change of hearts, the betterment of his fellow men. Love should be exalted, and poetic, and sensual, but it is not. If it is not, it is because society and state have made it such, by legalizing prostitution, by encouraging young men to debauchery. Truly, a new approach is being introduced, the idea that social conventions dictate the nature of love as we see it, that it all depends on the perspective of a person or a group.
This work will particularly focus on the adulterous love in Checkov’s “The Lady with the Pet Dog”, and Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina by taking Pride and Prejudice’s love story as a model. The theory that love at first sight is ...
As we all know that reading and writing plays a major role in the advancement of our knowledge but we have never expected that literature also plays a role to confer upon love and desire. In the essay “Why Literature?” Mario Vargas Llosa mentioned about the importance of literature and how it play an important function in the lives of people and the society itself. What I found to be the most interesting and unexpected function of reading and writing was the part when the author mentioned about the fact that “literature has served to benefit upon love and desire and the sexual act itself the status of artistic creation” (“Why Literature?” Mario Vargas Llosa). The author also wrote that without literature than eroticism wouldn’t even have exist. Therefore a society without literature, love and pleasure would be poorer in which there wouldn’t be relationships in the society.
"I wanna love you and treat you right; I wanna love you every day and every night: We'll be together with a roof right over our heads; We'll share the shelter of my single bed; We'll share the same room, yeah! - for Jah provide the bread. Is this love - is this love - is this love - Is this love that I'm feelin'?"--- Bob Marley. Bob Marley wrote and sang about love just like hundreds of people before him. His idea of true love was sharing with someone in order to meet the basic needs and spiritual way of life. The security of a relationship is one important part of a complex number of needs that have to be met for truelove to exist. The Merrian Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, defines “truelove” as “one truly beloved or loving”(1343). The meaning of truelove is not as simple as the dictionary would lead people to think. For the person who has not yet become educated in true love will find themselves on a wonderful quest. The most powerful declaration one can make to another person is a pledge of love. Most individuals will desire the intimate affection that a special someone can provide. Is there such a thing as truelove? Difficult as the answer is to find, many people have ideas about truelove. By comparing ideas of love between women and men, looking at religious love, investigating chemical love, and love in marriage will show what the meaning of true love is today.
In comparing the work of Luis Negron and Audre Lorde, one becomes able to unveil the often unrecognized distinction between the erotic and the pornographic aspects of sexuality. Moreover, the main character of The Chosen One, displays the very contrast that Lorde refers to in The uses of the Erotic. Although, the character representing these sexual variances happens to be male in The Chosen One. The need for the distinction between pornographic and erotic allows for Lorde to display the importance of feminine power within sexuality. After defining the importance of living instead of existing within an erotic culture, it can be presumed that the encounters of the boy in The Chosen One are seen as pornographic acts of oppression and not real
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “love” first appeared in the year 825. Love was first written and pronounced as “lufu” in Old English. It had many different types of meanings, but the first definition that was put down was ‘That disposition or stated feeling with regard to a person which(arising from recognition of attractive qualities, from instincts of natural relationship, or from sympathy) manifests itself in solicitude for the welfare of the object, and usually also in delight in his or her presence and desire for his or her approval; warm affection, attachment,’ (“Love,” 2017, p. 52). According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, it means ‘to feel love for, cherish, show love to; delight in, approve’ (Harper, n.d.). Another great definition for the word “love” is ‘an intense feeling of deep affection,’ (“Love,” 2017, p. 56). Though these definitions talk of affection towards an object or person, in history the word “love” has been used in very different ways. In the 1950s, the term “make love” was a euphemism for “have sex”(Harper, n.d.). This term was most utilized by teenagers, using love, instead of lust, as a reason to have sex. On the other hand, the word “love” is used as a term in tennis. At the beginning of every game, the words “love all” are said to signify that both opponents start out with the score of zero. Though it is unclear as to when this began, the most
The Definition of Love Love by definition is an emotion explored in philosophy, religion, and literature, often as either romantic love, the fraternal love of others, or the love of God based on the definition found in The Encarta Encyclopedia. As I explored the definitions through the Internet, books, and articles, I noticed the definitions changed quite a bit, but yet had the same basic understanding. The definition I found in The Encarta Encyclopedia is probably the most simple and most basic. It refers to love in the whole aspect, which is Godly, fraternal, and romantic. All of which can only be defined by one word and that is love.
Love is one of those things that means different things to different people. If you would look the word love up in the dictionary, you would find this: “an intense feeling of deep affection.” For some people, love can be purely romantic or even just purely sexual. For others, real love can only exist between family members or between people and a god. For some people, it is felt for your partners, family, pets, or even inanimate objects. None of the people are right or wrong, but I do know one thing, love is very powerful. Love is overused in today's world, people say they love someone because of the way they look or their body. That isn't love. To me, love is the most spectacular, indescribable, deep euphoric