Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
This blog accompanies Heubeck's European Civ. class. As we move toward the 20th century exploring the important intellectual movements and historical events of Western history through some of European History's most important thinkers, we will post and comment on important writings and events. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to the on-line discussions and inquire about difficult concepts.
The Underground Man is the narrator in the essay "Notes From the Underground", and he adresses an audience in the essay. The Underground Man is dangerous to the "rational world" of modern Europe because he believes that logic and reason do not completely dictate human actions, and he wanted human nature and natural instincts to guide society. Furthermore, the Underground Man reveals that he hates the "liberal-rational point of view that with increased enlightenment, people will become more good and noble". Lastly, the Underground Man argues that, "an individuals concern is not happiness and security, but a free and unfettered will".
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is a character from a book from the 1800s, that gets the author's message across about the direction of society. It was a contrevercial book because of its questions regarding Western Society. Going against Western thought, he says that man is exxentially bad, uncontrolable and not willing to cooperate. This threatens Western Society because it may change people's view and force them to take a whole different direction in their society. This direction may not be based on reason and previous Western Ideas.
ReplyDeletewhat do we read for the blog?
ReplyDeleteThe underground man is a fictional character in in Fyodor Dostoyevsk's "Notes from teh underground".
ReplyDeleteFyodor had a new interesting way of how to view human beings. He uses the underground man to reveal his thoughts. through the underground man, Fyodor reaveals that the way that we have been veiwing humans has been completely wrong. Us humans cannot be understood rationally. in ratoinal europe, this would createw a problem obviously. for in modern times, everyone must have a set anwser. we do not like leaving things open. tghat means we cannot control them. The underground man brought forth the idea that we do not understand ourselves as much a we think we do.therefore we cannot defineand control ourselves.
In "Notes from Underground", The Underground Man, a rebel "against the efforts of rationalists, positivists, liberals, and socialists", denounces reason as the gateway to happiness and security. He states that reason only makes up part of the human psyche. The Underground Man also expels the idea of "crystal palace" or utopia. He says that man does not seek peace and prosperity, but rather, man is "in love with suffering". These radical remarks attack the perfect society that all of European politics stride to achieve. Rejection of reason goes against all the enlightened philosophers.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is an imaginary narrator used by Dostoyevsky to deploy his own ideas on the way man should be governed. The Underground Man offers different views than the rational leaders of society, which is what makes him so dangerous. Man cannot be defined by reason alone because he has too many emotions and differing ways of thought. No two human beings are the same, so how can they all be told to live their lives the exact same way? The Underground Man revolts against the ideas of a rational government controlling the population, and he believes that an individuals man concern is "free and unfettered will." They should live however they want, and no two men should follow the exact same path through life.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is a character from the book “Notes From Underground.” This man is constantly second guessing and analyzing his thoughts and others because he does not trust anyone. This social awkwardness stems from his alienation from the society in which he lives. The Underground Man is a self hating man and he feels inadequate before others. This could be potentially dangerous to the rational society not only because the Underground Man does not trust the society, but he second guesses everything including society its self. This would mean that he would have negative views on society and these views are not necessarily what the government wants to hear or promote.
ReplyDeleteIn "Notes From Underground" Dostoyevsky explains how he is against the thinkers who believed in science and believed that reason governs human behavior. He didn't accept the fact that by the people following those laws, that they would create a rational society to better the themselves. The Underground man is dangerous because he doesn't like the ideas of rationalists. The narrator rebels against rationalists to define human nature according to universal principles. The Underground Man only believes that there are individuals with subjective desires and wills. To Dostoyevsky human beings cannot be defined by reason because our nature is too dynamic.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is the narrator of Dostoyevsky's piece "Notes from Underground". Dostoyevsky explains how the Underground Man offers different views on soceity; instead of letting reason and logic dictate our lifestyle, we should also learn to be at least a little bit suspicious of everyone, trusting no one and second guessing even society. The Underground Man feels that human should not be governed by one rational and all government, because that would chain the free human will, and no two human beings are alike. Dostoyevsky states that humans should be free and unfettered, and that individuals have different rights, and wants, and rationalists cannot dictate what the true human nature is.
ReplyDeleteThe underground man is a character from "notes from underground". This guy is a retired civil servant who attacks Western philosophy. He opposes rationalists who define human nature according to reason. Dostoyevsky held that humans cannot be defined by reason alone because human nature is too diverse and dynamic. The underground man doesn't let reason tie down his will and he second guesses society as a whole. It is dangerous to modern Europe because everyone would be confused if Western thought was suddenly frowned upon when that is the direction Europe has been leaning towards
ReplyDeleteDostoyevsky uses his "underground man" to promote some of his ideas on western society and the modern man. He is going against the traditional view of man and how he should act. The underground man's frank nature can offend the traditional western society that was Dostoyevsky's audience. The underground man had no faith in the attainment of happiness through reason or technology. This made him dangerous to western society because without the idea that progress is important, western society would lose purpose.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground man is the narratative voice in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's piece "Notes from Underground". The Underground man is dangerous to the "rational" man of Europe because he argues for the rights of the individual and not to allow oneself to conform to the thoughts and ideas of a certain government. He believes that a man should not be tethered to the society he lives in but he should try to obtain an unrestrained freedom, so he can act and think as he wants. He is arguing against the realists of the time because he believes that human emotion plays too much of a part in the way humans interact that it is impossible to create a utopian like society using only rational analysis.
ReplyDeleteThe underground man is the fictional narrator in Dostoyevsky's "Notes from Underground." He is completely against the typical European society: one where logic and rationality lead a man to enlightenment and self-improvement. In a sense, he sees beneath the common people and what most prominent and important thinkers tell them to do, and he sticks by his beliefs. He believes that human nature and emotion needs to be brought into the picture more, for many things that occur in life cant be explained by logic, rationality, science, etc. His views and opinions endanger western European society because western europeans consider themselves to be the most civilized, the most rational, the most sophisticated and right. Having someone see beneath their societies would ruin not only their reputation but everyone who they are oppressing or who is following the ways of western europe just because they are considered the best.
ReplyDeleteThe underground man is the narrative of Fyodor Dostoyevsky from the piece "Notes from Underground." This piece is dangerous to the rational man because Fyodor argues the rights of the individual and that one should not relate to one certain ideas set forth by one government. He believes in a man that should try and gain an unrestrained freedom so he can do as he pleases. He also has a belief that man uses emotion to much and it interrupts the way man tries to create the perfect utopian society.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man was a fictional character created by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and used by him to put forth his views on the core of human nature. The Underground Man states Dostoyevsky's views as the narrator in "Notes from Underground". The views he proposes are that man is not totally rational, and that at the core of him is feeling and emotion. Desires are what drive man to do things in life, whether they be advantageous or disadvantageous. He does not disagree that man possess reason; he only states that the impulses man possess are more significant and important. These views went against the common rational views contained in Europe and began controversy over the true nature of man.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is man but man with his layers peeled back to reveal his inner workings. Dostoyevsky creates this unreal character to show his thoughts on human nature. Dostoyevsky states that man can not be completely rational and relies on emotion to carry him through life. Our decisions are based off of desire. Dostoyevsky does not believe man to be without reason though like Hobbes however, he simply thinks that man uses his emotion more than anything else to make decisions
ReplyDeleteSpecifically, the Underground man is the one who narrates the story. He is a character who believes that the world/society would fail or not be able to function if man uses only reason and logic. Emotions and natural, instinctual reactions are what should determine the outcome of mans conflicts. this is what makes the underground man dangerous because the europeans believed in a logical and reason based society.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is a character created by Fyodor Dostoyevsky to represent an alternate to the highly rational Europe. The Underground man believes that “what man needs is simply independent choice, whatever that independence may cost and wherever it may lead” and that society is more that reasoning and logic. He believes that people need to use emotion and feelings and decide what is best for them. He still believes that reason is a good thing, but that it is not the only thing. He says, “Reason only knows what it has succeeded in learning (some things it will perhaps never learn; while this is nevertheless no comfort, why not say so frankly?)” He thinks that man will sometimes do what is not best for him “simply in order to have the right”.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man poses a threat to the “rational world” because the entire Modern European World is reason and logic based. He says that people should use their feelings more, which would cause people to raise issue with many of the prominent political views. When the practice of social Darwinism, liberalism, imperialism, and even conservatism are studied closely, they go against the emotions. Many people are killed and exploited in these isms, and this would be called in to question more by the underground man.
The underground man is the main character/narrator from dostoyevski's piece, "The Underground Man." He is a man who fights against everything that society represents, ie reason, logic, sturucture. The underground man can also be all of us. This is dangerous because the underground man is based purely on rebellion. He is a man who does not think as everyone else thinks. People who fight against society start to use physical means in order to make other people feel the same way
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is a character cread by Fyodr Dostoyevsky. The Underground Man believes that "... th individals principal concern is not happiness or security but a free and unfettered will." He is in some ways a rebel of thought because compared to what everyone else thinks which is that humans behavior is governed by reason, he believes tha humans are too complicated and diverse to act just oof of reason. Humans must act of there own free will and own thoughts because not everything any human being does is rational. There are certain factors which manipulate a humans decision.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is a fictional character created by Fyodor Dostoyevsky who rebels against the efforts of rationalists, postivists, liberals, and socialists. The Underground Man is based on the fact that humans cannot be defined by reason alone. Human beings are too complex for that. The Underground man believes that the individual's primary concern is not happiness or security but a free and unfettered will. He believes that man should not be entirely rational and he should use his free will.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is the fictional narrator in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Notes From Underground. His title "the Underground Man" suggests that he is a personification of man's subconscious--both rational and irrational. He explains to an imaginary audience the true nature of man's subconscious wills and desires (and its irrationality), which is extremely dangerous to the "rational world" of modern Europe. Modern Europe has been built on the foundation of thinkers like Newton and Descartes, which has brought ultra-rationality to almost aspects of its society, especially political science. This emergence of the Underground Man threatens to disprove the foundation of modern society, and calls for a complete upheaval and reconstruction of an already unstable state.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man narrates the speech that is given to the imaginary audience. He is a danger to the "rational world" because he is advocating everything the rationalists have been trying to eradicate for years. The Underground Man is pushing for individuals to stop living their lives by rational morals and to do what their own instincts tell them to do. He states that man doesn't want stability or peace, but the knowledge that they have unrestricted freedom to do what they see fit because it is what makes them human.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is the narrator used by Dostoyevsky to express his ideas about how man should be governed. What makes him so dangerous to the "rational world" is his different ideas and views compared to the rational leaders of society. His views expressed his ideas that man cannot be defined by reason and only reason, because of our human nature of using our emotions to make decisions. With this in mind, it is fair to say that no two men are the exact same, so there is no way to tell them to live their lives the same way. This narrator argues against the views of the rational leaders; government shouldn't be controlling the population because every man should be entitled to free will. Every man should live his live the way he wants to.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is everyone of us. We are all examples of underground men. The Underground man is one that wants a change in society. They want a society that is a mixture of reason and individual will. He is seen by a threat by the "rational world" because he has different ideas and not all of them are rational thoughts. He also wants individual will. The underground man wants to try and combine the Enlightenment age and the Romanticism age. He believes that a person is there own individual and he isn't the same as any other person.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground man is Dostoyevsky. His mission is to help people question the ideas that the Socialists are pressing on them. The socialists are taking human will and nature as a constant that can be explained through reason, and the Underground man knows this to be untrue. Human nature is "too dynamic, too volcanic,...to be prgrammed." There is no system that can make people be perfectly rational. He says that man is not concerned as much with hapiness, but freedom to make their own desicions. The idea of a utopian and noble society is not achievable.
ReplyDeleteIn Notes from Underground, Dostoyevsky provides an attack on the scientific and rational ideas and tradition of the Enlightenment. Through the narrator in the novel, the Underground Man, Dostoyevsky rebelled against those thinkers who believed that reason governs human behavior. The Underground man rejected the idea that a utopian society could be created, planned rationally and organized to promote human improvement. In addition, the Underground Man believes that there are no immutable truths; rather they are subjective to one's individual desires and wills. Dostoyevsky explains through the Underground Man that humans are too multi-faceted to be defined by reason alone. Instead, the underground Man advocated for the creation of a new definition of man; one that encompasses man's complete personality: feelings and wills in addition to reason. In a monologue to an imaginary audience, the Underground Man displays his distaste with the Enlightenment idea that people are able to become good and noble with increased enlightenment. He argues that man's main concern in life is not happiness, rather a "free and unfettered will." This idea is so dangerous because it justifies man's irresponsible and somewhat destructive behavior. The Man from Underground argues that free will is more precious than reason; therefore man will act in the most irrational way simply to get what he wants. He offers the possibility that enlightenment reform is not the most desirable for man. Rather man has the right to desire the irrational, which includes acts of stupidity and caprice.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man was a fictional character created by Dostoyevsky. The main purpose of the underground man was to preach and rebel angainst the ideas of the socialists and of modern society. He is strongly against the logic and reason in society at this time and he is trying to change it into a society that is dominated by man's free will, as opposed to happiness and the idea of a perfect (utopian) society. The Underground Man proves to be a threat to society and his idea of unrestrained freedom and free will causes a rebuilding of an already unsteady society that contains many conflicting beliefs.
ReplyDeleteIn Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground, Dostoyevsky attacked thinkers who believed that reason governs human behavior. He rejected that nothing that people could create utopian communities in which society would be rationally planned and organized to promote human betterment. The narrator of the novel rebels against the efforts to define human nature according to universal principles and to reform society so as to promote greater happiness and security. Dostoyevsky views man as “individuals with subjective desires and unpredictable, irrepressible wills”. He concludes that human beings simply cannot be defined by reason alone, seeing as though human nature itself is “too dynamic, too diversified, too volcanic…” His new definition of human beings affirmed each person’s individuality and subjectivity and encompass the total personality. “feelings and will as well as reason” The Underground Man argues that the individual’s principal concern is not happiness or security, but rather a free and unfettered will.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is the narrator of Dostoyevsky's "Notes From Underground". The underground man pushes against the rational espoused by European thought. The idea that man can be enlightened and tamed, and in the "become good and noble". The underground man pushes the idea that man is unpredictable, he cannot simply be educated and improved. The underground man is seen as a threat to "the modern world" (Western Europe), because he speaks against everything the Western world believes and against everything the Western world uses to justify expansionism.
ReplyDeleteWe are all essentially the "Underground Man". He symbolizes the subconscious nature of mankind to be both "enlightened" and "romantic". This joint lifestyle employs both reason and emotions, but most of all emphasizes the will of the individual. Both the Enlightenment and Romanticism are steps backward on the historical path of "philosophical progress", making the Underground Man an obstacle in the way of Realism's utopia. The Underground Man sees Realism as merely another vice for anarchy and the degredation of the indiviual and unfettered self-expression. It is our job as the Underground Man to stand defiant agaisnt chaos in the name of progress, and separate ourselves from the monotonous commodity of the modern regime.
ReplyDeleteDostoyevsky uses the "Underground Man" as a fictional character that stands for people in general. He bashes the ideas of rational thought and modern society with this character and says that society should be ruled by the free will of men. He believes that striving for a utopia is not what society should be moving towards because it is unattainable and that men are not so concerned with happiness as much as the ability to make decisions for themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe underground man is the narrator in "Notes from Underground" by Dostoyevsky. He says that man isn't always concerned with just being happy and really cares about his free will. He says that reason can certainly help people strive to become good and noble. He says that they must be enlightened. He also poses the idea that maybe humans do not like organization but rather would live in a world of uncertainty and make like chaotic and unpredictable. He says that the men who show people that living a life of rationality and morality end up finding out that they have lied to themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is the narrative voice of Dostoyevky's "Notes from Underground." He demonstrates how man has to be both romantic and enlightened and says that man's actions are not determined by only one of those aspects. He claims that men's actions are intended to gain certain advantages, such as wealth and prosperity, but the most important one is free will. He states that the free will is the main force behind decision-making, and that reason is only a small part of it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Underground Man promotes enlightenment and romantic ideas, and he opposes the realist utopian ideal. He is considered a threat to the modern, "rational" man because he promotes free will instead of reason, which the realists believe to be an exact science. He is dangerous to the "rational" man and could not exist in the above ground world.
The underground man is a fictional character created by Dostoyevsky in which he attempts to demonstrate his views on the nature of man. Dostoyevsky disagrees with the idea that man must live a rational thought out life and believes that if a man follows the rational path he is not living his life to the fullest. He causes a lot of controversy in this time in Europe because he is claiming that man would rather be led by emotion and live a life full of emotion. He claims that yes a life full of reason and rationalism will lead to success and stability in life but man still contains emotion and this emotion must be included in the definition of man because man is too complex to be defined only by reason and rationalism. Dostoyevsky sets out to prove that this idea of the "underground man" exists in everyone even though it challenges the beliefs of the time.
ReplyDeleteThe underground man is a character from Dostoyevsky's novel "Notes from Underground". He criticizes the attempt to intellectually dictate human action and behavior through reason. He also believes that man has the ability to do bad things in order to simply prove that they exist as individuals. He thinks that being good is subjective to the reference point of the surveyor. Since he has a romantic hatred towards egotism and selfishness, The Underground Man is seen as a danger to the "rational world" of Modern Europe.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is the narrator of Dostoyevsky's piece "Notes from Underground". By writing this piece, Dostoyevsky portrayed the message that one individual should not lead a life solely with rationality and logic, but lead a life with some kind of intuition. An individual should be skeptical of everyone around him. He should only go along with the society when he has made sure of everything. Also the underground man thinks that one rational government should not govern a society because not everyone is alike. The underground man believes that individuals should not be restrained from leading his own life.
ReplyDeleteJC Lee
In Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground, the Underground Man is an allegory for the nature of man. Dostoyevsky feels that the idea of man living his life with reason as his beacon is absurd. The idea that a utopian society can be created because man is naturally destructive, thriving on destruction. The Underground Man suggests that we base our ideas on Romanticism, rather than reason.
ReplyDeleteThe underground man is the narrator of Dostoyevsky's Notes from Underground. The underground man does not allow himself to be governed by those who only use reason and logic to make decisions, because he believes human emotions always get in the way. He poses a threat to society because most political leaders use reason and logic to make decisions and lead their people. Dostoyevsky uses the Underground man to express his views and feeling on government. He believe that man should be allowed to live a life of their choosing, not one determined by the government
ReplyDeleteIn "Notes From Underground", the underground man is a fictional character who states that people cannot use one of the aspects of Romanticism and the Enlightenment, yet he has to use both. Men try to gain material things such as money and all the possessions possible, but the one they most desire is free will. He threatens Western society, because he uses free will, and does not use reason and logic, which was something the Western society was built upon. The underground man is a polished form of our modern society which is both romantic and enlightened.
ReplyDeleteDostoyevsky uses the Underground Man to explain the idea that man requires suffering to progress, as the idea of living in a utopia is irrational, as that does not allow for progression in thought, and is irrational to think that any one man, or group of people would allow man to live in peace, so we have become accustomed to suffering.
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is a man who acts based on emotion rather than reason. The underground man believes that he is not a "piano key", an un-unique and very predictable mechanism. The Underground Man believes that by acting in ways that are not highly rational he is excersizing free will. This idea of the Underground Man is very dangerous to an extremely rational Europe because the Underground Man can attack a reason based society for purposes which reason cannot explain, leaving the rational world defensless
ReplyDeleteBased off of hat Dostoyevsky has said it seems that the Underground man is essentially his idea in what way the overall government should behave or act. Furthermore, the Underground man seems to disprove the idea of their being a utopian society and that the general will should overall move away from becoming it. In conclusion, rather than be a Utopia the Underground man feels that the overall will should base things off of reason.
ReplyDeleteThe "Underground Man" is a man created by Dostoyevsky to show his personal views. The Underground Man believes that reason and logic do not show one the path to happiness. He believes that all people should act according to their own free will and says that by only striving for the unattainable, a utopia, all people become exactly the same, losing their individuality. The Underground Man is dangerous to civilization because he promotes separation from the norm, which could lead to internal fights in countries. Basically the Underground Man is an example of Romanticism because he tries to be exactly opposite of the cultural standards.
ReplyDeleteThe underground man was made by Dostoyevsky in his Notes from the underground. Dostoyvesky argues that man cannot be governed solely on reason because man instinctively has to many emotions. He goes on to point out that no two men are alike, sort of like snowflakes. lls thats is lol if you did not know. Yeah Yeah i get the irony a short version of saying something that is the same amount of letters. Your probably syh right now, and if you didnt know that is shaking your head. Ok peace Mr huebeck
ReplyDeleteThe Underground Man is a character created by Dostoyevsky in order to convey his ideas on government and the attempts to create a Utopian society. He believes that it is impossible to have a Utopian society where there is peace due to the destructive nature of man. He believes that one should follow their nature instead of having a life dictated by government.
ReplyDelete