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The Underground Man In Notes From Underground By Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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Fyodor Dostoyevsky created the novel, Notes From Underground, holding insightful thoughts on the purpose and meaning of life. Within the novel, Dostoyevsky creates the character, the Underground Man. He laments human’s inconsistencies and their inability to grasp the meaninglessness of existence; while they work tirelessly to exert control over their uncontrollable environments. Human desire for power is epitomized in their attempts to rebel against the physiological laws of nature that govern the human body. The Underground Man would be infuriated over the advancements made in gene therapy to reverse diseases. Modern science cites the saving of lives as the purpose for their pursuit. While the Underground Man would bellow, “You megalomaniac …show more content…
The Underground Man’s exasperation begins at the realization that people are not in control of their own being—at all. This science works to prove that it is pointless to try to make decisions for yourself. Moreover, if a gene predetermines what is going to happen to the human body, then what sense is there in trying to make choices. If the genetic material predetermines how a person behaves then is a person in control of their own personality; or are people, simply a collection of genetic material that is destined to proceed along a predetermined route through life to a known end? Further, with this advance in science are humans meddling in areas they have no business? Should a man live past the time the law of nature dictates that he dies? The Underground Man writhes in these questions searching to grasp the meaning of it …show more content…
Not only do these laws govern us they push and pull us with an authority equal to that of gravity. “Nature doesn’t ask our preferences or whether or not you approve of her laws. You must accept her with all the consequences she implies. . . . [A]nd then sink voluptuously into inertia.” (pg. 93) The laws the Underground Man cites rule everything in the cosmos. The laws that govern the way the planets spin through the emptiness of space are the same as the laws that control us. Attempting to fight these natural laws is like trying to count the grains of sand on the sea shore or trying to prevent children from being born with CALD. One could argue that science is the search for a method to break the laws of nature, but in reality whenever a scientist thinks he is breaking a rule he only finds another. Even his search is predetermined. Nature has implanted imperfections to inspire scientists to research cures. In this way, even the search for a method at breaking the natural laws are nothing but men caught in the inertia of what was determined before a human was even

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