A Deep Dive into the Mind of Fyodor Dostoevsky

A long, gentle exploration of the Russian novelist who understood human nature better than almost anyone. Designed for late-night listening, studying, or just letting your mind wander through some of the most profound questions ever asked.

We start with his brutal years in Siberian prison, move through his masterpieces like Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, and explore why his ideas about freedom, guilt, and redemption still matter today.

No background noise, no music—just a steady, calm exploration of what it means to be human. Perfect for insomnia, studying philosophy, or anyone who's ever wondered why we do the things we do even when we know better.

What We Explore:

Early life and Siberian exile • Polyphony and dialogism • The Underground Man's revolt against reason • Rational egoism and the Crystal Palace • Crime and Punishment: transgression and conscience • Sonya and redemption • The Idiot: Prince Myshkin and the failure of innocence • Demons: ideology and revolutionary violence • Stavrogin and nihilism • The Brothers Karamazov: faith, doubt, and suffering • Ivan's rebellion and the Grand Inquisitor • Zosima's active love • The problem of theodicy • Double consciousness and the divided self • Freedom, shame, and responsibility • Dostoevsky's influence on existentialism

Chapters:

00:00 - Early Life, Siberia, and Return to St. Petersburg
18:39 - Polyphony and Dialogism in Dostoevsky's Art
28:35 - The Underground Man and the Revolt Against Reason
38:22 - Rational Egoism and the Crystal Palace
46:31 - The Right to Desire and the Limits of Arithmetic
54:57 - Crime and Punishment—The Logic of Transgression
1:02:02 - Raskolnikov's Conscience and the Problem of Confession
1:09:13 - Sonya and the Meaning of Redemption
1:15:39 - The Idiot—Prince Myshkin and the Ideal of Goodness
1:22:16 - Beauty, Vulnerability, and the Failure of Innocence
1:29:21 - Demons—Ideology and Revolutionary Violence
1:36:17 - Shigalyov's System and the Logic of Absolutism
1:43:30 - Stavrogin and the Emptiness of Nihilism
1:50:29 - The Brothers Karamazov—Faith, Doubt, and the Human Condition
1:56:20 - Ivan Karamazov's Rebellion Against Creation
2:03:37 - The Grand Inquisitor and the Problem of Freedom
2:10:03 - Zosima's Teaching and the Path of Active Love
2:16:18 - The Question of Theodicy and the Meaning of Suffering
2:22:24 - Dmitri, Smerdyakov, and the Web of Responsibility
2:29:35 - Double Consciousness and the Divided Self
2:35:33 - Shame, Pride, and the Theater of Confession
2:41:31 - Freedom, Personhood, and Ethical Irreducibility
2:47:56 - Religion as Risk—Faith Beyond Miracle and Mystery
2:53:51 - Compassion, Solidarity, and Responsibility for All
3:00:01 - Dostoevsky's Psychology and the Birth of Existentialism
3:06:00 - Influence and Legacy in Philosophy and Literature
3:12:13 - Closing Synthesis—Life as Question, Not Solution