the grand inquisitor the brothers karamazov

Why does this happen? Why would the people be willing to give up their own freedom? Would they give it up to exchange something more valuable? What is the more valuable thing then? The answer of the Grand Inquisitor’s is negative. He discerned the true reality of human nature, and told the truth utterly to the prisoner who turned over the mission of “making human free” to him: the majority of people were actually blind, they just chose the non-freedom freely, and believed that they were completely free after giving up freedom. The Grand Inquisitor revealed the rich connotation of freedom and the human instinct to give up freedom.ĭoes freedom mean to choose the personal value goal at will? Does everybody love freedom and dream of freedom? Will humankind prefer death to slavery?įreedom is undoubtedly the most precious, God often says, “I hope to make you free.” Jesus says that the truth will make you free. But whether or not God’s wish is based on his own wishful thinking, or the freedom He promised is that kind of freedom people would rather escape than to bear? What kind of truth is that in Jesus’s thought? Is it a kind of truth to believe in the God? Do people understand and hold the freedom when 1500 years have elapsed? The Grand Inquisitor told his prisoner, “Thy people feel fully sure and satisfied of their freedom and that only since they have themselves and of their own free will delivered that freedom unto our hands by placing it submissively at our feet. But then, that is what we have done. Is it that which Thou has striven for? Is this the kind of ‘freedom’ Thou has promised them?” The story happened in the 16th century when there was terrible Inquisition, Jesus had been crucified1500 years ago. He descended silently in flaming Seville where a hundred heretics were being roasted the day before. It was very strange that all recognized Him at once. The crowd was violently excited, when suddenly appeared the Grand Inquisitor. The old man commanded his minions to arrest Him. While the Cardinal stalked into the dungeon alone at night. The rank materialist and atheist Ivan relates the story of the grand inquisitor in Dostoevsky’s celebrated novel The Brothers Karamazov.

The grand inquisitor the brothers karamazov