The Grand Inquisitor

The 20th century was a period of rapid change in regards to politics, technology, and societal norms. The fluctuations that manifested themselves were especially apparent in Russia. For much of the century, the name Russia was obsolete; in its place, the communist Soviet Union took root. Prior to the communist takeover, Russia was under the control of the Romanov dynasty. This particular family was in power for nearly three centuries. However, as time pressed onward, the bloodline and ruling…

radios, channel in their T.V.’s, or unwrinkled their newspapers to horrific news. Gruesome headlines, and bewildered anchors spread the news that the unthinkable, and impossible happened the previous day. In the pristine and picturesque skies over the Grand Canyon in Arizona, tragedy struck in a way that would forever shock and change the world of aviation in ways never before imagined. Two airplanes collided unexpectedly in mid-air. The events leading up to the disaster, along with the…

investigates the relationship between freedom and authority as expressed in Grand Inquisitor. Ultimately, he concludes that complete authority in exchange for the appearance of happiness is dangerous because it constricts freedom and silences contrary ideas from even the most valid of sources. According to Dostoevsky’s Grand Inquisitor, freedom is a destructive tool that is used to corrupt societies by taking advantage of…

• “Freedom, free thought, and science will lead them into such straits…” The expository essay by Rival Habibulin. The Great Inquisitor is a novel written by Russian writer, philosopher and just a smart human – Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky. Dostoevsky shows us the beginning of two worlds. First world is a world of freedom and free thought, where humans have their own rights and freedom of choice. Second world is a world of compulsion (or the world without free…

Muslims to be inherently violent, lacking a rightful place in western society. Both the Grand Inquisitor and modern day Christians who express prejudice against other religious ideas are directly involved in practices that conflict with the biblical concept of refraining from judging others. By punishing worshippers for their religious views either by social oppression or physical force, The Grand Inquisitor and Christians in modern society are making judgements, valuing both as hypocritical…

the two Dominicans Miguel de Morillo and Jaun de San Martin as inquisitors in Seville, with two secular clergy as assistants. In 1487 Fray Thomas Torquemada was nominared by the king and confirmed by the pope as the grand inquisitor, the person at the head of the inquisition. By his papal credentials, he had the authority to commission his powers to other suitable persons and to receive appeals from all Spanish courts. The grand inquisitor was aided by a High Council called the Consejo Supremo,…

The medieval inquisition had played a considerable role in Christian Spain during the 13th century, but the struggle against the Moors had kept the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula busy and served to strengthen their faith. When toward the end of the 15th century the Reconquista was all but complete, the desire for religious unity became more and more pronounced. Spain’s Jewish population, which was among the largest in Europe, soon became a target. Over centuries, the Jewish community in…

Power is the ultimate tool that can test the resilience of an individual’s code of morals. In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Voltaire’s Candide, the leaders in both societies miserably fail this test; with power easily within their reach, the religious leaders in Candide and World Controllers in Brave New World exploit their positions of influence either for their personal gains or to enforce their personal ideologies. The two societies are incapable of dampening the corrupt powers of the…

and intuitions through the use of satire. In addition, he contrasts the European religion with the perfect city, El Dorado’s beliefs. Voltaire’s view of organized religion is presented throughout the novel. Voltaire uses the agent Inquisitors and Grand Inquisitor…

this passage, Ivan is telling the story of the encounter between “the grand inquisitor” and Jesus Christ. Ivan had previously discussed how the inquisitor had questioned Jesus and his true intentions as God and in the passage above Ivan questions his brother about the possible truth behind the Inquisitor’s questions. He essentially described that through much thought, meditation, and ridding himself of worldly objects, the inquisitor came to the conclusion…