dont worry ben, michael has no idea who is pure of heart and who isn't nor is pure of heart even a useful thing. an act of faith isn't the same thing as having faith. and the true world being spiritual, laughable. cant prove nor disprove that, thus useless. the only veil over anyone's eyes is thinking that anybody has clue about anything we cant see or hear. and that leads to another realm of paradoxes. point is anyone can say some dumb shit complicated enough to look good. but its just shit with a suit on. like this here to somebody somewhere this is dumb lol, who cares live life before its over...... or will it ever end...... to infinity and beyond
@@bobbymacdermott6137 looks like they got the fear taught into you very very deep. Sorry that you have to live a life like that. Sorry you got tricked into hating ppl by our government.
JP reminded me of a poem when he was speaking at the end. “I slept and dreamt that life was joy, I woke and saw that life was duty, I acted, and behold, duty was joy”
This is another level of conversation. Personally, I remember when I lived in St. Petersburg and read Crime and Punishment, visiting the places mentioned in the book. That was a different kind of experience. Dostoevsky could be the writer who reached the deeper meaning of humanity more than any other writer in the history of literature.
I read it. Took me 2-3 attempts because I was very young when I bought it, maybe 17 or so. Eventually, in my mid 20's, I picked it up again and sat through it, quite astonishing how amazing that story is. The pacing, the depth, the detail. I remembering finishing it and my mind spent weeks or maybe even months internally discussing what I had just read, and applying it to my own life and the real world. I read it again in my early 30's and took a little more from it. Everyone should read Crime & Punishment, just as everyone should read Electric Sheep by P.K. Dick.
I read Crime and Punishment in my late teens or early 20's. I remember thinking then, that can't happen here, USA. Not much later I realized corruption is endemic to the system, regardless of geography, politics, or time!
@@alexanderordinary2110 From my pretty sparse reading experiences in terms of whats available over the centuries, I'd regard Dostoevsky as one of the best. Top five easily. Always been an admirer of Shakespeares flow and insight, and Voltaires sublime crunching of fluff while maintaining reason. No idea who Joyce is. Phillip K Dick, for what it's worth, is also legendary when he is at his best, in terms of mastery of chunking and taking a chisel to the written word. I remember reading Man In The High Castle and after reading an entire paragraph, I paused to marvel at how much was in those 7-8 lines of text, when it hit me - there wasn't a SINGLE period used, either. I read that paragraph over and over again. Shocked at how good it was.
@@alexanderordinary2110 , probably in your perception of the world, Shakespeare and the other guy( who's him ?) ..are the responsible of delivering Messages in order to change the point of view of everyone who've been reading masterpieces of literature looking for a real content in a book.. I am sorry to say to you ,and very cynical as well , that Shakespeare and the rest of the gang are just good books to read with a more allegorical sense than philosophical. Dostoevsky goes right to the bottom of the humanity's boundaries and develops a deep understanding of the spiritual and nature facts of the human being...
I was told by a Russian person that The Brothers Karamazov should be read at least 3 times. I have read it twice and it is my favorite novel ever. Right behind it are War and Peace, and Crime and Punishment. I know there are many great novels from many great novelists, but to me Dostoevsky is the best novelist ever. His understanding of human psychology was uncanny.
The only other novel I think that is comparable is Melville's Moby Dick. To me, both Brothers Karamazov and Moby Dick are head and shoulders above the rest. Melville and Dostoyevsky could see where this ship of humanity was sailing, and gave us prophetic warnings.
If someone asked me to create a reading plan of the very best of the great Russian authors it would look something like this. 1. The Captain’s Daughter by Alexander Pushkin 2. A Hero of Our Time by Mikhael Lermontov 3. Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev 4. A collection of Anton Chekhov’s short stories (it doesn’t really matter which one specifically, just read 5-7 of his short stories) 5. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (make sure to get the unabridged version) 6. The Heart of a Dog by Mikhael Bulgakov (despite the title this is a very clever comedy and a lot of fun) 7. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch or Cancer Ward both by Alexander Solzhenitsyn 8. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (this is not an easy or a fast read but is one of relatively few Russian books where almost everyone lives happily ever after. Penguin also recently released a new translation that’s a lot more readable then the traditional one I strongly recommend it.) 9. Leaves From a Russian Diary by Pitirim Sorokin. If you can’t find a copy (which is highly likely) then you can substitute Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak 10. The Brothers Karamazov by Fydor Dostoevsky (it’s simply superb) All these books need to be read in a particular way. You can’t just cruise through them all in a rush. They have to be read thoughtfully and then applied to your life and society, if you are willing to read them like that, they will be deeply rewarding to you. Feel free to blast me in the comments for not including such geniuses as Gogol and Akhmatova, or my choice of books for particular authors.
Better to read Shalamov, Bunin, Sorokin and Gluhovski. Lermontov and Pushkin were typical impire writer. Shakamov 100% better than Solzhenicin. Lev Tołstoj created a myth about 19th century. More Russian writers mades fakes.
It's a good list but I would add: "How It All Began" by Nikolai Bukharin It's a sweeping, dynamic portrait of turn-of-the-century Russia. The book is unfinished, but that's because he was executed, so I won't begrudge him that
The Brothers Karamazov is Dostoevsky’s best because you can literally find everything that he had written about beforehand within this one novel. All the problems identified in Notes From Underground, the nihilism Raskolnikov dealt with in Crime and Punishment, the Holy Fool of The Idiot, the consequences of Demons, and much more is all here. The craziest part is that The Brothers Karamazov was only part one of a much larger journey, but he died before he could work on it. Now is The Brothers Karamazov the best book? Well it’s definitely the best at exploring human nature. I’ve heard of other candidates such as Dante’s Divine Comedy, Augustine’s Confessions, Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, Cervantes’ Don Quixote (one of Dostoevsky’s personal favorites), Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina (which Dostoevsky described as a perfect work of art), Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago, and more. I still need to get through these, but they are good food for thought. Edit: never thought I’d start a war in the comments.
My favorite is _The Castle_ by Kafka. Peterson briefly mentioned Kafka here, but _The Castle_ is not his most popular book. I think it's Kafka's best (difficult to say though). Unfortunately, the novel ends mid-sentence due to Franz Kafka's untimely death. Still, my favorite book.
The fact that it ended with so much more story to tell really bummed me out. I know it's not his fault for not finishing it obviously. But I didn't know that it just abruptly ended.
It warms my heart to see someone who has also read "The Castle" ! There is just something about this book and I can not understand what it is. I mean it is not even a finished story but it is utterly amazing. It put me in a kind of fever-dream state where everything seems so unreal but in a good, interesting way. I would say this book is the perfect definition of the term "Kafkaesk".
One of the most amazing things about Crime and Punishment is that it was basically written just for money. Dostoyevsky was in debt and in addition lost a big amount of money playing cards, so he needed money really fast so he started work on it But failed to meet the deadline and wrote a "Player" But still needed to finish the book so he finished it in around a year. And it was second version because first version was put to fire by Dostoyevsky (it was pretty trendy among russian writers at the time lol)
@@Edwin38397 well as I understand they wanted “something” from him by the deadline and he started to work on it but didn’t like the result and quickly came up with gambler as a replacement (player in my version lol, had no idea how the name is translated to English, but gambler definitely fits better)
@@gertstronkhorst2343 the thing here is that usually people have to put all their soul and have other motivations then money to create something really amazing But this guy could just do brilliant stuff on demand so he could gamble and party a bit, not for some “high goals” or smth
I wish I had the brilliance to read Brothers Karamazov for all of its many insights about life, faith, and our engagement in the world. I had help, with learned professors in college who included this book in the syllabus. I was amazed by the insights. Dostoevsky was given inspiration and he honed his craft around it.
"He ruined literature for me" - couldn't said it any better. Nothing I've read after Dostoevsky has come close to that level. Brothers Karamazov is the best novel ever written. No contest.
, You u must have been brought up in Yugoslavia, I had to read crime and punishment in highschool (gimnazija) , not 17 Year old, and I didn't get it. When I got to around 25 my junkie friend wanted to sell the Sabrana dela Dostojevskog for some puny money, I didn't let him, called his father, and took them all to keep it for his father. I remember clearly how I got sucked into the rabbit hole of reading and re reading, it did ruined a lot of books from very successful and critically acclaimed authors, but I feel that it made me see myself and others in different way, I was much harder to be manipulated and wanting to manipulate others much less. Unfortunately , it didn't bring me joy, just knowledge since I'm not religious and couldn't bring myself to that. Ultimately, if you're not religious, it's better to be dim or dumb than educated and somewhat smart, much less emotional suffering to be had, and you can't enjoy financial success if you have empathy and live in this world. Salute from your eastern neighbor!
I read Dostoevsky in a Russian Literature class in college taught by a Russian professor. The Grand Inquisitor is one of the best sections in all of literature. One thing I remember from the class is that the names in Brothers Karamazov had meaning in Russian.
No, there is not any special meaning or context in the brothers' names. Just common names. Still very popular. Have never heard any theories about their names. But there is an idea that Mitya is a body, Ivan is a brain and Alyosha is a soul of a human. But don't like it. And don't think Dostoevsky meant something like that.
@@ЯнаВоробьева-г2г My professor was a native Russian and a brilliant man. I am not a native Russian speaker, so I really have no idea. Have a good day.
@@Charlie-qe6lv my professor of Russian literature was also brilliant:) but there is really no special meaning of the brothers' names... May be it was your professor's own point of view. Have a nice Day, too:)
Master and Margarita... the only book that made me cry. When Pontius Pilate walks the moonpath with his dog... gets me every time. I read it in Russian but even in English it's devastating. And the Satan's Ball -- amazing. I rank it higher than Crime& Punishment, which has that claustrophobic fin de siècle vibe.
The only that amazes me more than how much Jordan Peterson can speak like and athlete can run, is just how many books he has read which he can instantly reference into any conversation. Lex is equally as amazing how he's so well versed with every guest on his show considering every guest is typically in the top of their field.
Look at your family dynamics and you'll all see the Karamazov's. It's a psychological study on people and how morality drives them to interact with eachother. Epic novel and always relevant
War and Peace is the greatest novel I've read and re-read every five years. Brothers K is my second favorite novel. Brothers K is more incisive in its areas of concern, but War and Peace is broader, and it helps that there is so much more of it and it covers a larger time span allowing for extended character development. Interesting detail: Tolstoy died with Brothers Karamazov on his nightstand.
its interesting that u even re read it because i even cant finish one book because it was too boring. Maybe because we had to read it when i was at school - in russia i mean. But even in russian its hard to read and understand.
@@igorvyshnianchyn8983 It's a challenging read: part philosophical treatise, part history book, while mostly a novel. Pierre Bezukhov has one of the most developed character arcs in fiction. Tolstoy vivifies life like no other narrative artist. The ball becomes as real off the page as the battle, and we come to understand the senile father with the same degree as we understand his cowering yet loving daughter.
One of the best books. For me personally, The Master and Margarita is the best book ever written. Most of the Russian/Soviet classical writers are in the league of their own, nobody comes even close to their mastery.
As a Yugoslav, it's always been interesting to me to note how much of an effect Russian (something I consider myself a part of) literature has had on the world. To everyone fascinated by it, if you're struggling to find anything that comes close, I urge you to look to Yugoslavia.
@@shanevoigt3831 It's looking past those differences that made Yugoslavia work. Those "ethnicities" didn't really matter. And those different "cultures" adapted to a superior ideal, rather than contributing to it directly. I can't imagine Yugoslavia functioning if muslims had had more pull. Anyway, it's really funny to see people unwilling to accept Yugoslavia as a valid concept because "hur durr diversity" but have no problem speaking of Russia as a singular concept..
The parallel between Nietzsche and Dostoïevsky has always reminded me the story of Nietzsche's madness. He saw a horse beaten by his master and embrace the horse while weeping before falling into madness. In Crime and Punishment, It is the nightmare of Raskolnikov.
I feel humility because this is one of a hundreds of comments here, that will never be read or heard, nevertheless, the need of expression after witnessing this conversation wins with it and may the futility of this task will be forgotten. You both, but especially Mr. Peterson remind me that my need to talk with deep and beautiful minds is always possible, at least whenever I have a book nearby or am able to witness this level of intellectual manifestation and the play between two minds. And for this you have my gratitude. Thank you
ok... i have read your comment......feel better? and i think/am convinced that if one reads a masterpiece, one is indeed in the company of the writer having a drink together🥃☕
The Brothers Karamazov is my favorite, and I think it's certainly a candidate for the best book ever written. It woke me up more than any other book I've ever read.
have you ever read a novel by Thomas Mann? Magic Mountain or Buddenbrooks are his most famous works. Thomas Mann also wrote Joseph and his brothers. It's the greatest challenge accepted of all time. He started writing the book because Wolfgang Goethe wrote that he wished the biblical Joseph story to be longer and more masterfully written. Thomas Mann who has seen himslef as Goethes soulmate was like '"oh you mean you could'nt do it" and started writing this massive work. Thomas Manns kids hated their father they always praised his genius writing skills but also talked bad about some of his works. Well even they claimed that Joseph and His Brothers is as important as the Ilias and the Odyssey. That made me want to read this book and i have to say it might be even better than Brothers Karamazov. It really is that good and it is a shame that Manns other works overshaddow Joseph and his brothers even tough Joseph is considered his Main-work
I just read it for the first time this very month. It had been gathering dust on my shelf for years. Ah! I could have used the "wake up" fifteen years ago. If anyone reading this is hemming and hawing about reading The Brothers K, just do it!
"I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened." -Fyodor Dostoevsky This book is an absolute masterpiece.
"But though all that may come to pass, I don't accept it. I won't accept it. Even if parallel lines do meet and I see it myself, I shall see it and say that they've met, but still I won't accept it. That's what's at the root of me" don't forget the second part, it's important to include it.
I love you Lex and Jordan. Jordan, you bring me so much joy when you describe the depths of texts and bring us closer to profound ideas and truths. Watching you has made my life better, and watching you makes me enjoy the better life.
It is so amazing and a blessing I am being able to hear this conversation, we are not alone, in some miraculous way humans found the way to share their very best ideas, feelings and insights by means in this case of this podcast and this men. Thank you beyond words.
i learnt a little Russian because my wife is from Kaliningrad, but i cannot read any book in Russian. i read them in German. i read most Russian classics but my favourites are from ilja ilf the golden calf, very good description of Sowjet time absurdities and obviously Dostojewski i started with very easy stuff like the gambler. have a good day
Wow. This conversation made me stop for a moment. Took me out of my superficial, reactive mode I was in. It really moved me. Still feel moved when writing this....and made me decide to go and read this book. Thank you!
The MartyrMade podcast did a masterful in-depth analysis of Dostoevsky and Nietzsche. Juxtaposing their lives, their choices and their quest for meaning in the modern world, in an incredibly captivating narrative.
literally gives me goosebumps when Jordan nearly cried in the last part! is it a coincidence that I cried lonely by myself in my room when I read that part for the first time in the book? I can not help seeing it as aljoscha saw it.. if we truly have faith in a good world we need to embrace it.. otherwise and yet we are all responsible not only for ourself but everyone around us.. dostojevsky is a true architect when it comes to the smallest motions and aspects of human soul and character!!
It truly is. Surprised to hear lex say that The Idiot was also a favorite, it felt like a 800 page soap opera to me. But the ending had a very deep end substantive twist for sure.
Absolutely his best work. The part when Ivan Karamazov has the moment of clarity are some of the best words ever written. No one understood the human condition and put it into words like Dostoevsky.
When the novelty of the conversation has worn off and I see you close your eyes and rub your forehead and eyes while thinking through the ideas of what you want to explain, I know there is meaning. Incredible, incredible conversation.
Fantastic discussion! There is a very interesting backstory to The Brothers Karamazov; Dostoevsky originally planned it as a book written from the perspective of children and how they see the world. This survives in one chapter of the book.
This is why I love Peterson’s take on Dostoevsky: he understands the writer and the literature. As complex as Dostoevsky was as a novelist, the concepts he explored, if anything present a wonderful story, truly aimed to find some of the most profound answers to questions humankind will never find. And yet, placing oneself within the consciousness of the author who can elaborate on such topics like faith, familial tragedy, or existential crises, with hope one will find, is one of the most rewarding experiences of all time.
I had a slight problem with Peterson at 4:50 saying Alyosha 'wins'. I'm not sure either Ivan or Alyosha 'wins' in Brothers Karamazov (or Dimitri, for that matter). Maybe this is my personal interpretation. But I think that was part of the power of Dostoyevsky - he could hold in his head two such different views on life and present them both so strongly. My feeling is that Alyosha's more spiritual renewal and vision of Russia is very much informed by the case that Ivan lays out in 'Pro and Contra' and 'The Grand Inquisitor'. You can't have 'The Father Zosima' or 'The Speech at the Stone' without Ivan's preceding chapters. I think it says something about Peterson when says he thinks Alyosha 'wins'.
@@gfarrell80 I would agree with that take. Although it’s been a few years since I last read The Brothers K, I interpreted Peterson’s comment “Alyosha wins” as he was the only brother who remained faithful throughout the entire narrative. Ivan and Dmitri, I would argue, strayed from God’s grace throughout the novel. But Alyosha became “heroic” by remaining faithful to the life he chose. I don’t know if any of that makes sense… I’m in need of another go at the story.
The Brothers Karamazov might be Dostoevskys best novel, but to those who cant plough through it: dont feel bad, the first 80 pages are the conversations of crazy people! One thing that guys right about, "The Master and Margarita" (Bulgakov) is a brilliant ride! An absolute Triumph!
"The Master And Margarita" is an "Ironic" book, Pokes some fun at the Communist system, but has a beautiful relationship sub-plot, AND a great, easy to read representation of things that may have happened during a certain Passover week in the time of the second temple! 😃
@@speakrussian6779 It goes deeper than a sarcasm on reality of these times It was a reflection of fears and religion things and eternal questions of finding your way and place in the world
the philosophical conversations in TBK are so in depth and Dostoevvsky does such a good job of stepping into alternate points of view with integrity, not trying to paint them out to have the wrong ideas.
For everybody watching this that is really interested in literature, i recommended reading "Tobbaco", by Dimitar Dimov. He is a bulgarian author and this book is one of the greatest literary achievements of my country. It has deep psychological and sociological insights. And if somebody is reading this, please recommend something written in your country that is a great piece of literature but is not well known internationally, many gems are buried in the language barrier. Last note, tobbaco has an original and a edited (censored by the communist party) version, so try to find the original one.
If Lex continued to wear the Pulp Fiction suit but grew his hair out Vincent Vega style, I would hire him to commit crimes and be more confident in him to get it done right than I would be in John Travolta, just in case Tarantino cares about my casting opinions.
I was 18 when I first read The Brothers Karamazov. Even as an immature teenager I recognized that this was one of the greatest books ever written. It has everything, and has it all genuinely.
Can be considered best ever? That's quite the statement. Can you provide us with a list of the books you've read among the millions that exist that would help back up such a big statement? Next time try and chill with your ego. You've read Dostoevsky and listen to Peterson, we get it.
@@MonkeyDIvan My guy, they’re not claiming they know for a fact that it’s objectively the greatest book ever written. Everyone in the universe has had this conversation of the best movie/show/book/whatever in a given category. Tying it to fans is extremely cringe.
I’m not a very good reader but I forced myself to finish this book. It felt like much of it went over my head, but I got the overall plot and some themes. Steinbeck is more my style. I’m a simple man.
The word "idiot" is an ancient Greek one and then it didn't mean fool but a man of pure and simple mind and heart (simplicissimus) opposed to intricate. Myshkin came down from the Alps, the mountains where he breathed clean thin air of altitude. And he plunged right into the thick of earthy, intricate life of St. Petersburg (which in the broader context appears as leaden heavy and kind of underground). Dostoevsky knew ancient Greek and I'm sure he used the word in this particular sense.
@@preciousamaechi5887It is accurate to the original russian without losing the flavor of the language and storytelling in the process. It really is a joy to read Burgin & O'Connors translation but considering how good the book is you won't lose with any translation honestly
If I am not mistaken, Dostoyevsky was dying as he had it transcribed by his wife Anna. She helped him with so many of his other books that I am sure she absorbed a fair amount of his patterns of thought... Great book, it's raw material was his past writings, very interesting life experience and the feedback from broader Russian society.
I admire many books but the impact Crime and Punishment had on me is second to none. I was 16-17, the book and the idea left me speechless and to this day that is the most profound piece of literature I have stumbled upon. Dostoevsky is non comparable.
Both of you run rings around me in interpreting the books by Dostoevsky and by chance I'm reading Brothers Karamazov right now but I can say I liked the way Crime and Punishment was written the best. If I could say---again to both of you since you obviously like to read---to give World Without End by Ken Follet a read. It's over 1,200 pages and I'm telling you, it's impossible to put down. The man writes and a film goes on in your mind. You look at the words and wonder what he has done to weave such a tale that never tires in keeping your attention. You see the people and events and the world he describes in such detail; he's the Rembrandt of popular fiction. When he writes, another world comes to life. It doesn't delve into the dimensions of Dostoevsky of course, but what it has done for me is revived my interest in reading because he is a master storyteller. With the digital world encroaching on us, my reading skills were thinning out and suddenly I bought World Without End sort of as a joke at the flea market in the beginning of the summer because it was so thick. Much to my surprise it made reading a come-back for me this summer.
@@ibnkhaldun7373 the murder and it getting the best of their conscious is for sure really similar, but the point of the two stories are different. The theme of each isn’t really unique, anyone could come up with the idea of those stories, the differences of the two stories are immense and the length comparison alone
@@alewoanna maybe. My native language is Russian but I dont remember much after moving to America. I am though confused by the name Aglayah. Does it sound so much like " naglayah " to you ? It distracts me
@@annishenko you made me chuckle :) I am not annoyed by the name (it’s kinda beautiful in an old-fashioned way), but I can see your point about “naglaya” 😀
Ive seen hundreds of JP interviews but the clips with Lex are the best. He's the best interviewer who hits at good topics and intelligent follow up questions.
interesting. this book reinforced my agnosticism. it's my favorite book of all time, and unfortunately the world is full of grand inquisitors, NOT alyosha's
I had several times tears in my eyes because of getting touched/feeling resonance with the thoughts been spoken out by those 2. "Am I going to act as if the world is good and what would happen if I did?" ... "The more you act out the proposition that it's good, the better it gets."
Hey Lex I’ve picked up a beautiful used copy of Crime and Punishment from my local bookstore. I plan to finish it over the next few weeks and move on to The Brothers Karamazov.
Personally, I see Nietzsche is more accurately a character from Ivan Turgenev. In his younger days, he was probably very similar to Bazarov from Fathers and Sons.
What blows my mind is the ability to create all these characters from a single mind. All with their individual lives, wisdoms and nuances, from father zosdima and his beautiful wisdom to Fyodor. There is literature and there is literature. I know everything has its place but sometimes I fall for the 'this years best seller' and give it a go, always returning to The classics, Dickens, Dostoevsky and others as nothing else seems to have the same substance. If I'm going to use my valuable time on earth reading a book I want to get something In return. The way Dickens words the death of Mr Barkis in DC is still the most beautiful pice of writing I have ever read. "And, it being low water, he went out with the tide."
I like Brothers Karamazov not because it has all answers, but because it shows you how to act when you don't. Dostoiesvki original idea was to write a biography of Aliocha in two novels: the first showing how the caracter becomes Aliocha, the ultimate hero, the second telling the ACTUAL STORY with the hero. A shame that Dostoiesvki died before he could write the second part.
I read Crime and Punishment when I was 15 or 16. At that time every book took me a few months to finish, even the ones that I liked. I finished Crime and Punishment in 3 or 4 days. It was so different than everything that I read before. It fascinated me. I read a lot from Dostoyevsky sonce than, and he has become my favourite author. Karamazov is a masterpiece too. I think that was the only book that could make me cry. Those last few pages were hard. Glad that Jordan mentioned Master and Margarita too. Another one of my favourites.
I think maybe we understand the story differently from what we can comprehend at that age. I’ll read crime and punishment again, I also read it in 4 days I think, over the Christmas break a few years ago.
"I could be wrong about that". I love how Peterson never tries to come across as pretentious in his knowledge. Despite his intelligence, he is still reluctant to make claims without evidence. It's so refreshing, particularly in today's age when everyone and their mother thinks they are a philosopher because they have some arbitrary social media following.
right on. every person is living their own reality and they think they have all the answers.. i used to also hahah. whew i woke up. now I know I'm dumb as shit, and so is everyone else.. knowing what everyone else knows doesn't make us smart just makes us as knowledgeable as everyone else lol. that is not smart just common
@@joshjackson678 Huh? So the only alternative, in your mind, is to call myself dumb, and if I don't then I am claiming to know everything? How do we learn? because by that rationale no one knows anything. All I said was be nice to yourself, and don't call yourself dumb.
I already had Dostoevsky on my list of authors to read, but this is maybe the greatest sell for him that I've ever heard. "It's an act of faith to declare that [the world] is good... The more you act out the proposition that it's good, the better it gets." By the grace of God.
So many gems in this interview, Thank You to Lex and Jordan for the willingness to go places and look into the heart of evil and the resilience to talk about it, to share lessons from this….
The story of how Nietzsche fell into madness when he saw some dude beating his horse is a literal quote from Dostoevsky, it is Raskolnikov's dream. So the claim that Nietzsche is a Dostoevsky character is deeper than it seems. Someone said that Nietzsche was a surprisingly atypical German philosopher, the most Russian among them.
Nietzsche is a mood. Like Dostoesvky's Ivan and Melville's Ahab, and most importantly like Jesus on the cross, Nietzsche tried to be the only thing true and admirable in the world, Nietzsche tried to be an atheist, not acting like GOd does not exist, because Nietzsche knew God exists, but in facing God, in rejecting God. But all three fail, utterly and completely and so does the man on the cross, in his final moment crying out to God.
@@cainandabel7059The cry of Christ on the cross was not one of failure but of victory. The Cross is the restoration of human nature to its primeval glory. When Christ cried out "why have you forsaken me", it was not His abandonment by the Father (that would be impossible) but He was showing that He was truly man and not just in appearance and also representing us, Adam the fallen man, in His own Person in His prayer to God. He also did this to show them unto His last breath that He honors His Father and is no adversary to God.
@@ElonMuskrat-my8jy the cross is his death, his defeat, in his last moment, the moment to which all moments of life build up to and have to prove themselves, he failed, God himself could not bear his own silence. the darkest hour of history, the end of the world. his resurrection is his and our victory but it is not complete until we ourselves be born again
@@cainandabel7059 Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. There is no glorious Resurrection without the Cross. Demons fear the Cross. Through the Cross is eternal life with the Body and Blood of Christ. It's blasphemy to say Christ was defeated. He went to His Passion voluntarily. It was an ambush to destroy the powers of sin, hell, death and the devil.
Dostoevsky's work is perhaps even more complicated than we used to think, it is rather not about specific images of people, but about all of us, that is, it is a study of the soul, where the search for its deepest foundations is carried out. Творчество Достоевского, быть может даже, более сложная вещь, чем мы привыкли думать, оно скорее не про конкретные образы людей, а про всех нас, то есть это такое исследование души, где осуществляется поиск самых глубинных её оснований.
“Do you wish for kindness? Be kind. Do you wish for truth? Be true. What you give of yourself you find; Your world is a reflex of you.” - James Allen, From Poverty to Power
One of the best clips from a podcast of all time. Interact with great books, it gives you unlimited and untimed access to the greatest minds thinking most profoundly.
My father never heard the name of people like Dostoyevsky in his life and never heard a single podcast by JP or any other men for that matter but he lived a life that would make all these men truly proud of him. While listening to JP speak about God, heaven, faith, all I could remember was my father who left this earth 2 years ago. He delivered more than what was given back to him, he stood firmly to protect and put his family above all else. His hard work made us all elevate to the level that we know was not possible by the three of us even if we tried. He made sure that he and his wife and kids lived a life that is deeply reflective of good values and principles.. He inculcated values of a good doctor in me and of a good leader in my brother.. he learned from the best of his teachers and I wonder sometimes that there are people like my father in all of our lives, who don't follow the woke culture and who aren't upgraded with news and trends which are going on in digital lives and yet they make the world a better place by merely existing since they're the most responsible and respectful individuals out there.. They're so invested in building their own foundation that they don't have any time to comment about others. Here's to them, who don't make it in our likes, shares and comments but still make our lives worth living 🕊️💕
Ivan was still correct. And truth matters. The genius of Dostoevsky was his ability to show that not all truth satisfies, yet one should not pursue a lie.
I finished The Brothers Karamazov a few days ago. I was lying in my bed reading Aljosha's words on the very last page: "Life is beautiful, if we do great things." It sounds so dumb and simple, but even the smartest people tend to forget it. Btw, my very favourite book is The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel. "Nichts verstimmt eine Zeit mehr, die nur eine matte Kopie ist, als ein Original." Franz Werfel and Bernadette made me believe in God.
How interesting. I read german translation, there it says „Wie schön ist das Leben, wenn man etwas Gutes und Gerechtes tut!“ roughly „How beautiful life is, if you do something good and just“ A slight but interesting difference in my opinion. Nevertheless I totally agree with your commentary
I taught a very gifted high school student who read both War and Peace and Brothers Karamazov. He loved both, but preferred War and Peace because the characters were much more real and not as constantly high-strung and psychotic as in Brothers. He said he could identify the humanity around him with War and Peace characters and not Brothers because they were so far over the top. I also love both novels, but War and Peace is far more identifiable with humanity rather than the excesses of Dostoevsky (which people interpret, wrongly I believe, as deep psychologically). It is far more difficult to write with restraint and develop characters that are more in line with normal human beings than to characterize extremes.
As someone who comes from a dysfunctional family, the characters in Karamazov were just like the people I dealt with my whole life, so I didn’t see them as unrealistic and unrelatable.
@@bigboineptune9567Yeah characters are just unrealistic until you actually meet them yourselves. The core of a being whether through the brilliance of genius or the blinding light of madness come in shades and sometimes simultaneously exist as mere flickers of an individual or as their blazing fiery personalities.
Dostoevsky's Ivan and Melville's Ahab, Sophocles's Antigone and Nietzsche himself all tried to be atheist. Not in the sense of denying God's existence but rejecting his authority. And all of them fail, utterly and completely.
My first introduction to Lex he reminded me of Alyosha so I wonder if he does model himself after that Dostoyevsky character and is why so people like and care for Lex.
He's just Russian to his core. You may not understand that if you have never lived there. I meant it's part of the cultural fabric and, arguably, in the DNA. Like purple prose does not really exist anywhere else. Had a conversation with a friend of mine that lived there and has a Slavic wife, who is a musician and programmer and we talked about Russian language leading to programming and deep learning capabilities.
@@comeforaride That does not sound real. There is a big difference between some few geniuses like Dostoevski Tolstoy, Pushkin, etc. and millions and millions of normal Russians. Same thing with computer geniuses, how many Russians are them? 0.1% of the population? So what Lex is, is not being Russian to the core, that is being very special to the core.
@@nikokapanen82 as he said in the interview with Joe Rogan when he was talking about the education in Russia. You get extensive memorization and cognitive development early on so you're taught to be more introspective. And 97% of education is public schools same education across the board, across the country. The language also is taught and designed in a way that's like coding. So it's basically jumping from verbal code to programming code. It wires your brain in a certain way that's uniquely Russian.
@@nikokapanen82 a genius is just a person that develops their inherent tallent and does it with concentration and devotion that no other person is willing to do.
“It’s an act of faith to declare that the world is good because the evidence is ambivalent.” I loved how he worded that, and it’s so true.
dont worry ben, michael has no idea who is pure of heart and who isn't nor is pure of heart even a useful thing. an act of faith isn't the same thing as having faith. and the true world being spiritual, laughable. cant prove nor disprove that, thus useless. the only veil over anyone's eyes is thinking that anybody has clue about anything we cant see or hear. and that leads to another realm of paradoxes. point is anyone can say some dumb shit complicated enough to look good. but its just shit with a suit on. like this here to somebody somewhere this is dumb lol, who cares live life before its over...... or will it ever end...... to infinity and beyond
If your self esteem is built on esteemable acts then the evidence is not ambivalent.
it's an act of complacent arrogance
@@bobbymacdermott6137 looks like they got the fear taught into you very very deep. Sorry that you have to live a life like that. Sorry you got tricked into hating ppl by our government.
This is it. This is the core of human conscience and the ultimate choice. And this is where I part from Peterson and the act of faith.
JP reminded me of a poem when he was speaking at the end.
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy,
I woke and saw that life was duty,
I acted, and behold, duty was joy”
"Some of my best friends are in that book." You have struck my heart with that beautiful perspective. Because I feel the same way.
This is another level of conversation.
Personally, I remember when I lived in St. Petersburg and read Crime and Punishment, visiting the places mentioned in the book. That was a different kind of experience. Dostoevsky could be the writer who reached the deeper meaning of humanity more than any other writer in the history of literature.
I read it. Took me 2-3 attempts because I was very young when I bought it, maybe 17 or so. Eventually, in my mid 20's, I picked it up again and sat through it, quite astonishing how amazing that story is. The pacing, the depth, the detail. I remembering finishing it and my mind spent weeks or maybe even months internally discussing what I had just read, and applying it to my own life and the real world. I read it again in my early 30's and took a little more from it. Everyone should read Crime & Punishment, just as everyone should read Electric Sheep by P.K. Dick.
I read Crime and Punishment in my late teens or early 20's. I remember thinking then, that can't happen here, USA. Not much later I realized corruption is endemic to the system, regardless of geography, politics, or time!
Really??! Seriously??! even more than Joyce or shakespeare?? hmmmmm
@@alexanderordinary2110 From my pretty sparse reading experiences in terms of whats available over the centuries, I'd regard Dostoevsky as one of the best. Top five easily. Always been an admirer of Shakespeares flow and insight, and Voltaires sublime crunching of fluff while maintaining reason. No idea who Joyce is. Phillip K Dick, for what it's worth, is also legendary when he is at his best, in terms of mastery of chunking and taking a chisel to the written word. I remember reading Man In The High Castle and after reading an entire paragraph, I paused to marvel at how much was in those 7-8 lines of text, when it hit me - there wasn't a SINGLE period used, either. I read that paragraph over and over again. Shocked at how good it was.
@@alexanderordinary2110 , probably in your perception of the world, Shakespeare and the other guy( who's him ?) ..are the responsible of delivering
Messages in order to change the point of view of everyone who've been reading masterpieces of literature looking for a real content in a book..
I am sorry to say to you ,and very cynical as well , that Shakespeare and the rest of the gang are just good books to read with a more allegorical sense than philosophical.
Dostoevsky goes right to the bottom of the humanity's boundaries and develops a deep understanding of the spiritual and nature facts of the human being...
I was told by a Russian person that The Brothers Karamazov should be read at least 3 times. I have read it twice and it is my favorite novel ever. Right behind it are War and Peace, and Crime and Punishment. I know there are many great novels from many great novelists, but to me Dostoevsky is the best novelist ever. His understanding of human psychology was uncanny.
Thank you for giving me a reason to read Brothers Karamazov again!
Someone told me 3 times too, young, middle, old
@@thejohnbeck 100%. I read it when I was young. Now just read it twice again in middle age.
The only other novel I think that is comparable is Melville's Moby Dick. To me, both Brothers Karamazov and Moby Dick are head and shoulders above the rest. Melville and Dostoyevsky could see where this ship of humanity was sailing, and gave us prophetic warnings.
@@overlandkltolondon you did that wrong lol
If someone asked me to create a reading plan of the very best of the great Russian authors it would look something like this.
1. The Captain’s Daughter by Alexander Pushkin
2. A Hero of Our Time by Mikhael Lermontov
3. Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
4. A collection of Anton Chekhov’s short stories (it doesn’t really matter which one specifically, just read 5-7 of his short stories)
5. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (make sure to get the unabridged version)
6. The Heart of a Dog by Mikhael Bulgakov (despite the title this is a very clever comedy and a lot of fun)
7. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch or Cancer Ward both by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
8. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (this is not an easy or a fast read but is one of relatively few Russian books where almost everyone lives happily ever after. Penguin also recently released a new translation that’s a lot more readable then the traditional one I strongly recommend it.)
9. Leaves From a Russian Diary by Pitirim Sorokin. If you can’t find a copy (which is highly likely) then you can substitute Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
10. The Brothers Karamazov by Fydor Dostoevsky (it’s simply superb)
All these books need to be read in a particular way. You can’t just cruise through them all in a rush. They have to be read thoughtfully and then applied to your life and society, if you are willing to read them like that, they will be deeply rewarding to you.
Feel free to blast me in the comments for not including such geniuses as Gogol and Akhmatova, or my choice of books for particular authors.
Better to read Shalamov, Bunin, Sorokin and Gluhovski. Lermontov and Pushkin were typical impire writer. Shakamov 100% better than Solzhenicin.
Lev Tołstoj created a myth about 19th century.
More Russian writers mades fakes.
What a great list. I do love Chekhov's plays as well. The Cherry Orchard is amongst my favorites.
No kazandzakis? Last temptation zorba ect…
@@Skabanis where on the reading list would you put them? I was trying to keep the number to 10. So my question is simply who would you replace?
It's a good list but I would add:
"How It All Began" by Nikolai Bukharin
It's a sweeping, dynamic portrait of turn-of-the-century Russia. The book is unfinished, but that's because he was executed, so I won't begrudge him that
The Brothers Karamazov is Dostoevsky’s best because you can literally find everything that he had written about beforehand within this one novel. All the problems identified in Notes From Underground, the nihilism Raskolnikov dealt with in Crime and Punishment, the Holy Fool of The Idiot, the consequences of Demons, and much more is all here. The craziest part is that The Brothers Karamazov was only part one of a much larger journey, but he died before he could work on it. Now is The Brothers Karamazov the best book? Well it’s definitely the best at exploring human nature. I’ve heard of other candidates such as Dante’s Divine Comedy, Augustine’s Confessions, Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, Cervantes’ Don Quixote (one of Dostoevsky’s personal favorites), Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina (which Dostoevsky described as a perfect work of art), Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago, and more. I still need to get through these, but they are good food for thought.
Edit: never thought I’d start a war in the comments.
I Can't believe your putting Dante and Solzenitsyn in the same conversation
My favorite is _The Castle_ by Kafka. Peterson briefly mentioned Kafka here, but _The Castle_ is not his most popular book. I think it's Kafka's best (difficult to say though). Unfortunately, the novel ends mid-sentence due to Franz Kafka's untimely death.
Still, my favorite book.
The fact that it ended with so much more story to tell really bummed me out. I know it's not his fault for not finishing it obviously. But I didn't know that it just abruptly ended.
@@jacopopispola9925 why?
It warms my heart to see someone who has also read "The Castle" !
There is just something about this book and I can not understand what it is. I mean it is not even a finished story but it is utterly amazing.
It put me in a kind of fever-dream state where everything seems so unreal but in a good, interesting way. I would say this book is the perfect definition of the term "Kafkaesk".
One of the most amazing things about Crime and Punishment is that it was basically written just for money. Dostoyevsky was in debt and in addition lost a big amount of money playing cards, so he needed money really fast so he started work on it
But failed to meet the deadline and wrote a "Player"
But still needed to finish the book so he finished it in around a year. And it was second version because first version was put to fire by Dostoyevsky (it was pretty trendy among russian writers at the time lol)
What no,I think when he lost money from gambling,he promised to write “The gambler” before the deadline,or am I wrong?
@@Edwin38397 well as I understand they wanted “something” from him by the deadline and he started to work on it but didn’t like the result and quickly came up with gambler as a replacement (player in my version lol, had no idea how the name is translated to English, but gambler definitely fits better)
It's so amazing that people do stuff for money!
@@gertstronkhorst2343 the thing here is that usually people have to put all their soul and have other motivations then money to create something really amazing
But this guy could just do brilliant stuff on demand so he could gamble and party a bit, not for some “high goals” or smth
I think you're thinking of The Gambler
I wish I had the brilliance to read Brothers Karamazov for all of its many insights about life, faith, and our engagement in the world. I had help, with learned professors in college who included this book in the syllabus. I was amazed by the insights. Dostoevsky was given inspiration and he honed his craft around it.
"He ruined literature for me" - couldn't said it any better. Nothing I've read after Dostoevsky has come close to that level. Brothers Karamazov is the best novel ever written. No contest.
Hugo, Hunchback!
Fratellli tutti
para 15
Jesus... i feel the same. I mean, i have to try this Mikhail Bulgákov's "the master and margarita" for sure, as Peterson says
, You u must have been brought up in Yugoslavia, I had to read crime and punishment in highschool (gimnazija) , not 17 Year old, and I didn't get it. When I got to around 25 my junkie friend wanted to sell the Sabrana dela Dostojevskog for some puny money, I didn't let him, called his father, and took them all to keep it for his father. I remember clearly how I got sucked into the rabbit hole of reading and re reading, it did ruined a lot of books from very successful and critically acclaimed authors, but I feel that it made me see myself and others in different way, I was much harder to be manipulated and wanting to manipulate others much less.
Unfortunately , it didn't bring me joy, just knowledge since I'm not religious and couldn't bring myself to that.
Ultimately, if you're not religious, it's better to be dim or dumb than educated and somewhat smart, much less emotional suffering to be had, and you can't enjoy financial success if you have empathy and live in this world.
Salute from your eastern neighbor!
You guys have clearly never read Tolkien or Sapkowski. Their books are better than those of Dostoevsky, it's not even close.
@@josecesar9776 great book. Read it. Not as serious as BK though
I read Dostoevsky in a Russian Literature class in college taught by a Russian professor. The Grand Inquisitor is one of the best sections in all of literature. One thing I remember from the class is that the names in Brothers Karamazov had meaning in Russian.
The Grand Inquisitor is something I think about on a daily basis these days
No, there is not any special meaning or context in the brothers' names. Just common names. Still very popular. Have never heard any theories about their names. But there is an idea that Mitya is a body, Ivan is a brain and Alyosha is a soul of a human. But don't like it. And don't think Dostoevsky meant something like that.
@@ЯнаВоробьева-г2г My professor was a native Russian and a brilliant man. I am not a native Russian speaker, so I really have no idea. Have a good day.
@@Charlie-qe6lv my professor of Russian literature was also brilliant:) but there is really no special meaning of the brothers' names... May be it was your professor's own point of view. Have a nice Day, too:)
@@ЯнаВоробьева-г2г my dad could beat your dad up
Master and Margarita... the only book that made me cry. When Pontius Pilate walks the moonpath with his dog... gets me every time. I read it in Russian but even in English it's devastating. And the Satan's Ball -- amazing. I rank it higher than Crime& Punishment, which has that claustrophobic fin de siècle vibe.
@@yyyy12344Well if you can read Russian then certainly that’s better.
But if not then reading the English is better than not reading it at all.
A bit late to the party, but I agree with your assessment.
The only that amazes me more than how much Jordan Peterson can speak like and athlete can run, is just how many books he has read which he can instantly reference into any conversation. Lex is equally as amazing how he's so well versed with every guest on his show considering every guest is typically in the top of their field.
how is lex well versed?
@@mkballer4502did you watch this clip? Here is an example of what the OP is referencing
@@jakenbake9878 OP lol, I thought I was on reddit considering I deleted my account few days ago.
“The more you act out the proposition that it is good, the better it gets.”
I’ve lived this out to both ends. It is terrifyingly true.
Look at your family dynamics and you'll all see the Karamazov's. It's a psychological study on people and how morality drives them to interact with eachother. Epic novel and always relevant
Also try Crime And Punishment.
War and Peace is the greatest novel I've read and re-read every five years. Brothers K is my second favorite novel. Brothers K is more incisive in its areas of concern, but War and Peace is broader, and it helps that there is so much more of it and it covers a larger time span allowing for extended character development. Interesting detail: Tolstoy died with Brothers Karamazov on his nightstand.
Really? I barely finished it. I really regret the time I spent on it. Too stretched and lackluster in my opinion. But hey, to each its own :)
In War and Peace you read 5 pages how leave falls out of the tree.
its interesting that u even re read it because i even cant finish one book because it was too boring. Maybe because we had to read it when i was at school - in russia i mean. But even in russian its hard to read and understand.
Too long winded and stretched out for me. Too many wasted pages saying nothing.
@@igorvyshnianchyn8983 It's a challenging read: part philosophical treatise, part history book, while mostly a novel. Pierre Bezukhov has one of the most developed character arcs in fiction. Tolstoy vivifies life like no other narrative artist. The ball becomes as real off the page as the battle, and we come to understand the senile father with the same degree as we understand his cowering yet loving daughter.
Just started 'Brothers' this week - wish me luck! The books a monster with the translation around 1000 pages
Did you finish yet?
The most significant chapter, to me, was The Grand Inquisitor. I'm still thinking about it, 30 years later.
Absolute waste of time
One of the best books. For me personally, The Master and Margarita is the best book ever written. Most of the Russian/Soviet classical writers are in the league of their own, nobody comes even close to their mastery.
is this book good? I cant read! Im 1!
signed,
Joey (age 1)
We are a nation of writers. The Russian language is so rich that the country gives birth to writers and poets like donuts
That was a deep cut. Of course Peterson has read it!
@Dixlophosss✡️
@@ЮлияСеливанова-д6йit’s unfortunate that the pen is indeed, not mightier than the sword.
As a Yugoslav, it's always been interesting to me to note how much of an effect Russian (something I consider myself a part of) literature has had on the world. To everyone fascinated by it, if you're struggling to find anything that comes close, I urge you to look to Yugoslavia.
What cointry within yigoslavia are you from?
Yugoslavia was an idea implemented upon you. Many Countries, Ethnicities, and Cultures make up what was once Yugoslavia.
@@shanevoigt3831 It's looking past those differences that made Yugoslavia work. Those "ethnicities" didn't really matter. And those different "cultures" adapted to a superior ideal, rather than contributing to it directly. I can't imagine Yugoslavia functioning if muslims had had more pull.
Anyway, it's really funny to see people unwilling to accept Yugoslavia as a valid concept because "hur durr diversity" but have no problem speaking of Russia as a singular concept..
@@adish7059 Bosnia.
@@greyngreyer5 Srbija
“The more you act out the proposition that the world is good… the better it gets.” Holds back tears.*
The parallel between Nietzsche and Dostoïevsky has always reminded me the story of Nietzsche's madness. He saw a horse beaten by his master and embrace the horse while weeping before falling into madness. In Crime and Punishment, It is the nightmare of Raskolnikov.
That scene was inspired by an actual crime in Russia where that really happened.
I feel humility because this is one of a hundreds of comments here, that will never be read or heard, nevertheless, the need of expression after witnessing this conversation wins with it and may the futility of this task will be forgotten. You both, but especially Mr. Peterson remind me that my need to talk with deep and beautiful minds is always possible, at least whenever I have a book nearby or am able to witness this level of intellectual manifestation and the play between two minds. And for this you have my gratitude. Thank you
ok... i have read your comment......feel better? and i think/am convinced that if one reads a masterpiece, one is indeed in the company of the writer having a drink together🥃☕
By far the greatest most influential book I've ever read. Truly life changing and worth a spot on the bedside table for life
I'm so glad watching people talking about great books. For this new year, for me time to read some great novels.
What a phenomenal conversation.
The Brothers Karamazov is my favorite, and I think it's certainly a candidate for the best book ever written. It woke me up more than any other book I've ever read.
have you ever read a novel by Thomas Mann? Magic Mountain or Buddenbrooks are his most famous works.
Thomas Mann also wrote Joseph and his brothers. It's the greatest challenge accepted of all time. He started writing the book because Wolfgang Goethe wrote that he wished the biblical Joseph story to be longer and more masterfully written. Thomas Mann who has seen himslef as Goethes soulmate was like '"oh you mean you could'nt do it" and started writing this massive work. Thomas Manns kids hated their father they always praised his genius writing skills but also talked bad about some of his works. Well even they claimed that Joseph and His Brothers is as important as the Ilias and the Odyssey.
That made me want to read this book and i have to say it might be even better than Brothers Karamazov. It really is that good and it is a shame that Manns other works overshaddow Joseph and his brothers even tough Joseph is considered his Main-work
@@TheMonsterHunterTV Thank you for that intriguing recommendation! I'm looking that up now
I just read it for the first time this very month. It had been gathering dust on my shelf for years. Ah! I could have used the "wake up" fifteen years ago. If anyone reading this is hemming and hawing about reading The Brothers K, just do it!
Have you read the Bible? It will pull you off death.
Love Jordan bringing up Master and Margarita. One of my favourites. Fabulous book. Unless you speak Russian, get a good translation.
"I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened."
-Fyodor Dostoevsky
This book is an absolute masterpiece.
"But though all that may come to pass, I don't accept it. I won't accept it. Even if parallel lines do meet and I see it myself, I shall see it and say that they've met, but still I won't accept it. That's what's at the root of me"
don't forget the second part, it's important to include it.
@@cainandabel7059 ❤
Pretty much nailed human nature with the last paragraph!
I love you Lex and Jordan. Jordan, you bring me so much joy when you describe the depths of texts and bring us closer to profound ideas and truths. Watching you has made my life better, and watching you makes me enjoy the better life.
It is so amazing and a blessing I am being able to hear this conversation, we are not alone, in some miraculous way humans found the way to share their very best ideas, feelings and insights by means in this case of this podcast and this men.
Thank you beyond words.
Calm down. It's a podcast
As a Russian who read those books at school, it is amazing to listen you speak so admirably about our literature
I would feel the same if I saw two famous russians gushing over some profound American literature
i learnt a little Russian because my wife is from Kaliningrad, but i cannot read any book in Russian. i read them in German. i read most Russian classics but my favourites are from ilja ilf the golden calf, very good description of Sowjet time absurdities and obviously Dostojewski i started with very easy stuff like the gambler. have a good day
I don't know a lot about writing but I am learning. However, it sounds like he is one of the greatest riders of all time. You should be proud.
Wow. This conversation made me stop for a moment. Took me out of my superficial, reactive mode I was in. It really moved me. Still feel moved when writing this....and made me decide to go and read this book. Thank you!
The MartyrMade podcast did a masterful in-depth analysis of Dostoevsky and Nietzsche.
Juxtaposing their lives, their choices and their quest for meaning in the modern world, in an incredibly captivating narrative.
Bruh ... Good referral ... Just disc. And def. Gonna dive in 5 hrs !!
Thx for the heads-up. Can you tell be the name of the episode pls?
@@jontip It's #20 The Underground Spirit. It's true that the episode name doesn't really give it away.
@@HeremansIsaac1 Nice one Isaac, looking forward to hearing lt 🙌
I’ve listened to this over and over and discover new information each time
literally gives me goosebumps when Jordan nearly cried in the last part! is it a coincidence that I cried lonely by myself in my room when I read that part for the first time in the book? I can not help seeing it as aljoscha saw it.. if we truly have faith in a good world we need to embrace it.. otherwise and yet we are all responsible not only for ourself but everyone around us..
dostojevsky is a true architect when it comes to the smallest motions and aspects of human soul and character!!
The Brothers Karamazov is a masterpiece.
Now everyone read it 🙄
It truly is. Surprised to hear lex say that The Idiot was also a favorite, it felt like a 800 page soap opera to me. But the ending had a very deep end substantive twist for sure.
Honestly I was more annoyed by the rather submissive and docile prince and the overly emotional and dramatic divas he simped for
There are many great books. Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges is a greater book that The Brother Karamazov. Same with many I can think of.
The heart is a lonely hunter touched the fabric of human reality for me too.
Such a pleasure watching them conversate.
Absolutely his best work. The part when Ivan Karamazov has the moment of clarity are some of the best words ever written. No one understood the human condition and put it into words like Dostoevsky.
If I ever get depressed or broken to the point where functioning seems impossible, it’s to these men that I’ll turn for inspiration to get back up.
Worked for me!
@GWRG
Happy to hear it
Don't forget Robert Greene😊
When the novelty of the conversation has worn off and I see you close your eyes and rub your forehead and eyes while thinking through the ideas of what you want to explain, I know there is meaning. Incredible, incredible conversation.
Fantastic discussion! There is a very interesting backstory to The Brothers Karamazov; Dostoevsky originally planned it as a book written from the perspective of children and how they see the world. This survives in one chapter of the book.
This is why I love Peterson’s take on Dostoevsky: he understands the writer and the literature. As complex as Dostoevsky was as a novelist, the concepts he explored, if anything present a wonderful story, truly aimed to find some of the most profound answers to questions humankind will never find. And yet, placing oneself within the consciousness of the author who can elaborate on such topics like faith, familial tragedy, or existential crises, with hope one will find, is one of the most rewarding experiences of all time.
I had a slight problem with Peterson at 4:50 saying Alyosha 'wins'. I'm not sure either Ivan or Alyosha 'wins' in Brothers Karamazov (or Dimitri, for that matter). Maybe this is my personal interpretation. But I think that was part of the power of Dostoyevsky - he could hold in his head two such different views on life and present them both so strongly. My feeling is that Alyosha's more spiritual renewal and vision of Russia is very much informed by the case that Ivan lays out in 'Pro and Contra' and 'The Grand Inquisitor'. You can't have 'The Father Zosima' or 'The Speech at the Stone' without Ivan's preceding chapters.
I think it says something about Peterson when says he thinks Alyosha 'wins'.
@@gfarrell80 I would agree with that take. Although it’s been a few years since I last read The Brothers K, I interpreted Peterson’s comment “Alyosha wins” as he was the only brother who remained faithful throughout the entire narrative. Ivan and Dmitri, I would argue, strayed from God’s grace throughout the novel. But Alyosha became “heroic” by remaining faithful to the life he chose. I don’t know if any of that makes sense… I’m in need of another go at the story.
The Brothers Karamazov might be Dostoevskys best novel, but to those who cant plough through it: dont feel bad, the first 80 pages are the conversations of crazy people! One thing that guys right about, "The Master and Margarita" (Bulgakov) is a brilliant ride! An absolute Triumph!
"The Master and Margarita" is a sarcastic book. Nobody understand the Soviet sarcasm even nowadays Russians. 😀
"The Master And Margarita" is an "Ironic" book, Pokes some fun at the Communist system, but has a beautiful relationship sub-plot, AND a great, easy to read representation of things that may have happened during a certain Passover week in the time of the second temple! 😃
That is literally true. Especially the father Karamazov.
@@speakrussian6779 It goes deeper than a sarcasm on reality of these times
It was a reflection of fears and religion things and eternal questions of finding your way and place in the world
It's a slow burn of a book. But around the middle of it, it slowly starts to pick up steam and it gets hard to put down to the very end
the philosophical conversations in TBK are so in depth and Dostoevvsky does such a good job of stepping into alternate points of view with integrity, not trying to paint them out to have the wrong ideas.
For everybody watching this that is really interested in literature, i recommended reading "Tobbaco", by Dimitar Dimov. He is a bulgarian author and this book is one of the greatest literary achievements of my country. It has deep psychological and sociological insights.
And if somebody is reading this, please recommend something written in your country that is a great piece of literature but is not well known internationally, many gems are buried in the language barrier.
Last note, tobbaco has an original and a edited (censored by the communist party) version, so try to find the original one.
Ralph waldo Emerson. from US
Thank you for sharing
Another Bulgarian here. For some reason I still haven’t read it. About time to open it up. 🙏 thanks for reminding.
Machado de Assis, Brazil
The 25th hour by Virgil Gheorghiu from Romania
If Lex continued to wear the Pulp Fiction suit but grew his hair out Vincent Vega style, I would hire him to commit crimes and be more confident in him to get it done right than I would be in John Travolta, just in case Tarantino cares about my casting opinions.
You can't afford him
@@sLw1337 You might be shocked by what I can afford when I want something.
what if the crime you needed to hire someone to commit was being the "straighest gay guy"
@@BlastinRope That role would probably be easier to pull off convincingly than one of "the gayest straight guy".
@@matthewz5220 lol
I was 18 when I first read The Brothers Karamazov. Even as an immature teenager I recognized that this was one of the greatest books ever written. It has everything, and has it all genuinely.
Not surprised Nikos Kazandzakis is so high on Peterson’s list. Amazing writer! MY favorite.
While all my friends in high school were doing drugs and partying
I read one of his books off
The shelf. Still remember it.
What is your favorite kazantzakis book. I’ve read three so far and love them all. Probably Greek passion is my favorite idk
Wonderful discussion. Crime and Punishment had a powerful effect on me in college. The Russian writers have always been my favorites.
Please include Solzhenitsyn!
6:32 its an act of faith to say the world is good brought me to tears
All books by Dostoevsky can be considered best ever. He's work is brilliant, so deep and eternal bcs it focuses on human soul and psychie
Can be considered best ever? That's quite the statement. Can you provide us with a list of the books you've read among the millions that exist that would help back up such a big statement? Next time try and chill with your ego. You've read Dostoevsky and listen to Peterson, we get it.
DA!
Dostoevsky didn't wrote ex-nihilo. His thought n life profundly influnced by Judeo-Christian ideals n day to say life.
@@MonkeyDIvan u made shit skin
@@MonkeyDIvan My guy, they’re not claiming they know for a fact that it’s objectively the greatest book ever written.
Everyone in the universe has had this conversation of the best movie/show/book/whatever in a given category. Tying it to fans is extremely cringe.
I’m not a very good reader but I forced myself to finish this book. It felt like much of it went over my head, but I got the overall plot and some themes. Steinbeck is more my style. I’m a simple man.
This is the most honest comment I’ve read on RUclips in years. Your a good person Jacob and that’s all that matters in the end.
This is a very sweet back and forth, well done you two
Steinbeck is great as well , maybe because i read my first at school but his books made me feel emotions. That got me into reading.
Nothing wrong with that my friend.
Me to
Also a good song by lynyrd skynard
The word "idiot" is an ancient Greek one and then it didn't mean fool but a man of pure and simple mind and heart (simplicissimus) opposed to intricate. Myshkin came down from the Alps, the mountains where he breathed clean thin air of altitude. And he plunged right into the thick of earthy, intricate life of St. Petersburg (which in the broader context appears as leaden heavy and kind of underground). Dostoevsky knew ancient Greek and I'm sure he used the word in this particular sense.
Master and Marguireta is a mind bending/dark yet delightfully written book
Reading it now ! I strongly recommend the Burgin & O'Connor translation for anyone interested
@@watercave4905 why should we go for that particular translation , if I may ask?
@@preciousamaechi5887It is accurate to the original russian without losing the flavor of the language and storytelling in the process. It really is a joy to read Burgin & O'Connors translation but considering how good the book is you won't lose with any translation honestly
...and funny like hell!
At this point I'm pretture sure it's not a book.
If I am not mistaken, Dostoyevsky was dying as he had it transcribed by his wife Anna. She helped him with so many of his other books that I am sure she absorbed a fair amount of his patterns of thought... Great book, it's raw material was his past writings, very interesting life experience and the feedback from broader Russian society.
I admire many books but the impact Crime and Punishment had on me is second to none. I was 16-17, the book and the idea left me speechless and to this day that is the most profound piece of literature I have stumbled upon. Dostoevsky is non comparable.
Both of you run rings around me in interpreting the books by Dostoevsky and by chance I'm reading Brothers Karamazov right now but I can say I liked the way Crime and Punishment was written the best. If I could say---again to both of you since you obviously like to read---to give World Without End by Ken Follet a read. It's over 1,200 pages and I'm telling you, it's impossible to put down. The man writes and a film goes on in your mind. You look at the words and wonder what he has done to weave such a tale that never tires in keeping your attention. You see the people and events and the world he describes in such detail; he's the Rembrandt of popular fiction. When he writes, another world comes to life. It doesn't delve into the dimensions of Dostoevsky of course, but what it has done for me is revived my interest in reading because he is a master storyteller. With the digital world encroaching on us, my reading skills were thinning out and suddenly I bought World Without End sort of as a joke at the flea market in the beginning of the summer because it was so thick. Much to my surprise it made reading a come-back for me this summer.
Crime and punishment is way more of an enjoyable read
I strongly believe that Crime and punishment is a remake of the short story by Edgar Allan Poe called "The Tell-Tale Heart" published in 1843.
@@ibnkhaldun7373 the murder and it getting the best of their conscious is for sure really similar, but the point of the two stories are different. The theme of each isn’t really unique, anyone could come up with the idea of those stories, the differences of the two stories are immense and the length comparison alone
If you want your mind blown read East of Eden
I feel blessed that I was able to read Dostoyevsky in Russian.
I am reading it in English and its rough.
@@annishenko I’m sorry to hear :( I imagine translation is even harder to read than the original.
@@alewoanna maybe. My native language is Russian but I dont remember much after moving to America. I am though confused by the name Aglayah. Does it sound so much like " naglayah " to you ? It distracts me
@@annishenko you made me chuckle :) I am not annoyed by the name (it’s kinda beautiful in an old-fashioned way), but I can see your point about “naglaya” 😀
@@annishenko you say AglAya. And nAglaya. So it's diffrent to me.
I have a friend who's daughter is Aglaya))))
Ive seen hundreds of JP interviews but the clips with Lex are the best. He's the best interviewer who hits at good topics and intelligent follow up questions.
Lex looks so at place interviewing Jordan. A deep and spiritual connection firing on all cylinders
This book made me believe in God
interesting. this book reinforced my agnosticism. it's my favorite book of all time, and unfortunately the world is full of grand inquisitors, NOT alyosha's
@@freestylingwhistler “Grand Inquisitors”. Brilliant description.
Then you are a fool.
I personally form my beliefs based off facts not feelings but to each their own
God isn't real. Just thought you should hear that.
I had several times tears in my eyes because of getting touched/feeling resonance with the thoughts been spoken out by those 2.
"Am I going to act as if the world is good and what would happen if I did?"
...
"The more you act out the proposition that it's good, the better it gets."
Hey Lex I’ve picked up a beautiful used copy of Crime and Punishment from my local bookstore. I plan to finish it over the next few weeks and move on to The Brothers Karamazov.
Be prepared on a altered world view.
Same here
I read Crime and Punishment first then The Brothers Karamazov. They seem to go together that way.
Enjoy the ride!
@@iameternalsunshine I'm about a third the way through crime and punishment. Will the altered world view come on completion?
"Nietzsche is almost a character in a Dostoevsky novel"
Perfect line
Personally, I see Nietzsche is more accurately a character from Ivan Turgenev. In his younger days, he was probably very similar to Bazarov from Fathers and Sons.
Definitely Ivan
What blows my mind is the ability to create all these characters from a single mind. All with their individual lives, wisdoms and nuances, from father zosdima and his beautiful wisdom to Fyodor. There is literature and there is literature. I know everything has its place but sometimes I fall for the 'this years best seller' and give it a go, always returning to The classics, Dickens, Dostoevsky and others as nothing else seems to have the same substance. If I'm going to use my valuable time on earth reading a book I want to get something In return. The way Dickens words the death of Mr Barkis in DC is still the most beautiful pice of writing I have ever read.
"And, it being low water, he went out with the tide."
I like Brothers Karamazov not because it has all answers, but because it shows you how to act when you don't. Dostoiesvki original idea was to write a biography of Aliocha in two novels: the first showing how the caracter becomes Aliocha, the ultimate hero, the second telling the ACTUAL STORY with the hero. A shame that Dostoiesvki died before he could write the second part.
shame? you might call it unfortunate but not shame. we don't have anything to do with the matters such as life and death, it's God/s' will.
@@TechCrunchPK Words can have multiple meanings and the words proposed by OP and U are synonymous.
I read Crime and Punishment when I was 15 or 16. At that time every book took me a few months to finish, even the ones that I liked. I finished Crime and Punishment in 3 or 4 days. It was so different than everything that I read before. It fascinated me. I read a lot from Dostoyevsky sonce than, and he has become my favourite author. Karamazov is a masterpiece too. I think that was the only book that could make me cry. Those last few pages were hard.
Glad that Jordan mentioned Master and Margarita too. Another one of my favourites.
You have a very nice taste, man 👌 I've read all of them also in the original language.
I think maybe we understand the story differently from what we can comprehend at that age. I’ll read crime and punishment again, I also read it in 4 days I think, over the Christmas break a few years ago.
What translation did you read?
Agree, Master & Margarita is one of my favourites also.
I just purchased The Brothers Karamazov as a result of this clip. Looking forward to reading it when I find the time this summer.
"I could be wrong about that". I love how Peterson never tries to come across as pretentious in his knowledge. Despite his intelligence, he is still reluctant to make claims without evidence. It's so refreshing, particularly in today's age when everyone and their mother thinks they are a philosopher because they have some arbitrary social media following.
That’s odd. I find him to be a pretentious asshole. Guess different strokes for different folks
right on. every person is living their own reality and they think they have all the answers.. i used to also hahah. whew i woke up. now I know I'm dumb as shit, and so is everyone else.. knowing what everyone else knows doesn't make us smart just makes us as knowledgeable as everyone else lol. that is not smart just common
@@joshjackson678 That's too bad, I never think of myself as "dumb" why would I? Treat yourself better.
@@PEPSEP treating yourself like you know something when you really don’t is more harmful than knowing one is dumb in the grand scale of things.
@@joshjackson678 Huh? So the only alternative, in your mind, is to call myself dumb, and if I don't then I am claiming to know everything? How do we learn? because by that rationale no one knows anything. All I said was be nice to yourself, and don't call yourself dumb.
I already had Dostoevsky on my list of authors to read, but this is maybe the greatest sell for him that I've ever heard. "It's an act of faith to declare that [the world] is good... The more you act out the proposition that it's good, the better it gets." By the grace of God.
So many gems in this interview, Thank You to Lex and Jordan for the willingness to go places and look into the heart of evil and the resilience to talk about it, to share lessons from this….
Yeah, the child-like optimism and childish naivety was a great differentiation.
The Brothers Kamarasovs blew my mind reading it as a teen. Should reed again now, 40 years later, after becoming a beliver in Christ.
Welcome
TbK is great> i believe in god. What a complete non sequitur
Orthodoxy is the true faith. Elder Zosima was based off of Sts. Ambrose of Optina and Tikhon of Zadonsk.
6:45 "The more you act out the proposition that live is good, the better it gets.."
Master and Margerita is one of my absolute favourite books also. It's great on so many levels.
My favorite book too!
🔥🔥🔥
Yes. Master and Margerita is also inspiring than Dostoevskis books.
The story of how Nietzsche fell into madness when he saw some dude beating his horse is a literal quote from Dostoevsky, it is Raskolnikov's dream. So the claim that Nietzsche is a Dostoevsky character is deeper than it seems. Someone said that Nietzsche was a surprisingly atypical German philosopher, the most Russian among them.
Nietzsche is a mood. Like Dostoesvky's Ivan and Melville's Ahab, and most importantly like Jesus on the cross, Nietzsche tried to be the only thing true and admirable in the world, Nietzsche tried to be an atheist, not acting like GOd does not exist, because Nietzsche knew God exists, but in facing God, in rejecting God. But all three fail, utterly and completely and so does the man on the cross, in his final moment crying out to God.
That is a most uncanny parallelism to be sure.
@@cainandabel7059The cry of Christ on the cross was not one of failure but of victory. The Cross is the restoration of human nature to its primeval glory. When Christ cried out "why have you forsaken me", it was not His abandonment by the Father (that would be impossible) but He was showing that He was truly man and not just in appearance and also representing us, Adam the fallen man, in His own Person in His prayer to God. He also did this to show them unto His last breath that He honors His Father and is no adversary to God.
@@ElonMuskrat-my8jy the cross is his death, his defeat, in his last moment, the moment to which all moments of life build up to and have to prove themselves, he failed, God himself could not bear his own silence. the darkest hour of history, the end of the world. his resurrection is his and our victory but it is not complete until we ourselves be born again
@@cainandabel7059 Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. There is no glorious Resurrection without the Cross. Demons fear the Cross. Through the Cross is eternal life with the Body and Blood of Christ. It's blasphemy to say Christ was defeated. He went to His Passion voluntarily. It was an ambush to destroy the powers of sin, hell, death and the devil.
Thanks for the great conversation Lex and Jordan.
Dostoevsky's work is perhaps even more complicated than we used to think, it is rather not about specific images of people, but about all of us, that is, it is a study of the soul, where the search for its deepest foundations is carried out.
Творчество Достоевского, быть может даже, более сложная вещь, чем мы привыкли думать, оно скорее не про конкретные образы людей, а про всех нас, то есть это такое исследование души, где осуществляется поиск самых глубинных её оснований.
So glad he mentioned Kazantzakis. I adore him. Also how true that Nietze could easily be a Dostoyefski character...
What’s your favorite Kazantzakis book? Greek passion for me but I’ve only read three so far
“Do you wish for kindness? Be kind.
Do you wish for truth? Be true.
What you give of yourself you find;
Your world is a reflex of you.”
- James Allen, From Poverty to Power
There’s a damn good reason why Freud called it “the most magnificent novel ever written”
Freud was a fraud.
@@johnbrowne3950True, but he was right about the greatness of Brothers Karamazov, Hamlet and Oedipus Rex.
I strongly believe that Crime and punishment is a remake of the short story by Edgar Allan Poe called "The Tell-Tale Heart" published in 1843.
Crime and punishment changed my Life. The conversation between ( the second enterview) the detective and Rodia Karskolnikof is out of this world.
One of the best clips from a podcast of all time. Interact with great books, it gives you unlimited and untimed access to the greatest minds thinking most profoundly.
I need to read it along with Crime and Punishment, I’ve already read notes from underground and fell in love with his writing and philosophies
Excellent interview and discussion.Thanks very much
Listening to these two brilliant thinkers makes me feel like I should go back and repeat Grade 3.
My father never heard the name of people like Dostoyevsky in his life and never heard a single podcast by JP or any other men for that matter but he lived a life that would make all these men truly proud of him. While listening to JP speak about God, heaven, faith, all I could remember was my father who left this earth 2 years ago. He delivered more than what was given back to him, he stood firmly to protect and put his family above all else. His hard work made us all elevate to the level that we know was not possible by the three of us even if we tried. He made sure that he and his wife and kids lived a life that is deeply reflective of good values and principles.. He inculcated values of a good doctor in me and of a good leader in my brother.. he learned from the best of his teachers and I wonder sometimes that there are people like my father in all of our lives, who don't follow the woke culture and who aren't upgraded with news and trends which are going on in digital lives and yet they make the world a better place by merely existing since they're the most responsible and respectful individuals out there.. They're so invested in building their own foundation that they don't have any time to comment about others.
Here's to them, who don't make it in our likes, shares and comments but still make our lives worth living 🕊️💕
Dostogiefski is like a true friend who really wants to make you a better person
Jordan Peterson is a wonderful human being. What a gift he is giving humanity by expressing his beautiful mind and thoughts without a filter.
Ivan was still correct. And truth matters. The genius of Dostoevsky was his ability to show that not all truth satisfies, yet one should not pursue a lie.
Above all do not lie to yourself!
This insightful conversation illustrates how wonderful a vehicle the internet can be.
I finished The Brothers Karamazov a few days ago. I was lying in my bed reading Aljosha's words on the very last page: "Life is beautiful, if we do great things."
It sounds so dumb and simple, but even the smartest people tend to forget it.
Btw, my very favourite book is The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel.
"Nichts verstimmt eine Zeit mehr, die nur eine matte Kopie ist, als ein Original."
Franz Werfel and Bernadette made me believe in God.
How interesting. I read german translation, there it says „Wie schön ist das Leben, wenn man etwas Gutes und Gerechtes tut!“ roughly „How beautiful life is, if you do something good and just“
A slight but interesting difference in my opinion. Nevertheless I totally agree with your commentary
@@tobithiele2673 I didn't quote it thoroughly, because I didn't have the book anymore. I think, it was the same sentence in the Swedish version. :-)
I taught a very gifted high school student who read both War and Peace and Brothers Karamazov. He loved both, but preferred War and Peace because the characters were much more real and not as constantly high-strung and psychotic as in Brothers. He said he could identify the humanity around him with War and Peace characters and not Brothers because they were so far over the top. I also love both novels, but War and Peace is far more identifiable with humanity rather than the excesses of Dostoevsky (which people interpret, wrongly I believe, as deep psychologically). It is far more difficult to write with restraint and develop characters that are more in line with normal human beings than to characterize extremes.
As someone who comes from a dysfunctional family, the characters in Karamazov were just like the people I dealt with my whole life, so I didn’t see them as unrealistic and unrelatable.
@@bigboineptune9567Yeah characters are just unrealistic until you actually meet them yourselves. The core of a being whether through the brilliance of genius or the blinding light of madness come in shades and sometimes simultaneously exist as mere flickers of an individual or as their blazing fiery personalities.
"The more you act out of the proposition that it's good, the better it gets." woah !
Dostoevsky's Ivan and Melville's Ahab, Sophocles's Antigone and Nietzsche himself all tried to be atheist. Not in the sense of denying God's existence but rejecting his authority. And all of them fail, utterly and completely.
The story of Father Zoisma is my favorite part of that book
I enjoyed this.
Excelent choice!
Same
Thank you for posting this beautiful discussion, a reminder to read these great books again .
I still can't believe Demons was written ~150 years ago
My first introduction to Lex he reminded me of Alyosha so I wonder if he does model himself after that Dostoyevsky character and is why so people like and care for Lex.
He's just Russian to his core. You may not understand that if you have never lived there. I meant it's part of the cultural fabric and, arguably, in the DNA. Like purple prose does not really exist anywhere else. Had a conversation with a friend of mine that lived there and has a Slavic wife, who is a musician and programmer and we talked about Russian language leading to programming and deep learning capabilities.
@@comeforaride
That does not sound real. There is a big difference between some few geniuses like Dostoevski Tolstoy, Pushkin, etc. and millions and millions of normal Russians.
Same thing with computer geniuses, how many Russians are them? 0.1% of the population? So what Lex is, is not being Russian to the core, that is being very special to the core.
@@nikokapanen82 as he said in the interview with Joe Rogan when he was talking about the education in Russia. You get extensive memorization and cognitive development early on so you're taught to be more introspective. And 97% of education is public schools same education across the board, across the country. The language also is taught and designed in a way that's like coding. So it's basically jumping from verbal code to programming code. It wires your brain in a certain way that's uniquely Russian.
@@nikokapanen82 a genius is just a person that develops their inherent tallent and does it with concentration and devotion that no other person is willing to do.
My favourite poet is Alexander Pushkin but my favourite author is Nikolay Gogol.
My personal favourite is Demons. The second half of that book blew my mind.
The second half is great.
@@JordanBPetersonCan you review 200 Years Together?
The Idiot is my favorite book of all time. I love the The Brothers Karamazov too