Of course we are infinitesimal compared to the universe, but that is beside the point, or beside Dostoevsky's point at any rate. We are certainly not infinitesimal to our own sweet selves. D is pointing out is that free will, or perhaps more precisely the notion of free will, is so central to our concept of being human that we will cling to it at any cost, although “It may be at the cost of his skin, it may be by cannibalism!” If you think about it this explains a lot, such as resistance to mask wearing. The anti-maskers may seem like such babies, but D would not have been surprised. In fact if you scroll up to chapter 7, you will find, “I, for instance, would not be in the least surprised if all of a sudden, A PROPOS of nothing, in the midst of general prosperity a gentleman with an ignoble, or rather with a reactionary and ironical, countenance were to arise and, putting his arms akimbo, say to us all: "I say, gentleman, hadn’t we better kick over the whole show and scatter rationalism to the winds, simply to send these logarithms to the devil, and to enable us to live once more at our own sweet foolish will!" That again would not matter, but what is annoying is that he would be sure to find followers…” Does that remind you of anyone lol? It’s there, it’s the Heart of Darkness, and so if in spite of all the nice rational polling, Trump pulls it off, we should be too surprised. Certainly D would not be.
Perhaps the humans of the future, should there be any, will learn to be human without free will, and the notion of the same will be consigned to the dustbin of history, along with other delusions such as the notion that earth is flat and the sun revolving around it…oh, wait…
Thanks for reading my rather over-long responses. You seem like a good person. I have longer things, mostly fiction these days.
I’m rather pleased with this one
If you prefer something funny, these guys are a riot: (you should follow them)
Best Wishes,
-Q
