The work of Dostoevsky is certainly rich with numerous suggestions that allow the criminal lawyer to reflect on crime and punishment without falling into simplifications. Literature in fact allows the jurist to have an idea of the complexity and profoundity of human reality as opposed to any attempt of schematization. “Crime and Punishment” and “Notes from Underground” offer many ideas for a better grasp of the meaning of crime and punishment . At a first reading, perhaps too indebted to the dichotomy between Western rationalism and Russian irrationalism, crime in Dostoevsky might seem to simply be the result of irrationalism. In the same way, to talk about punishment could lead to embrace the idea that the death penalty in Dostoevsky responds to a purely retributive scheme. Analyzing the two novels , however, leads to different conclusions. It seems for instance that crime is the result of a rational logic: to rise above banality and to demonstrate superiority, in an attempt to rationalize the world and its apparent illogicality. Attempt which failed. Punishment as well is not at all inspired by a logic give back or retribution, but it looks more like a pathway to mend the fracture between the individual and society caused by the crime. Penalty is therefore a long road of suffering and, however, it accompanies the offender in a process of rationalization of the world and of understanding of the meaning of his action.

L'opera di Dostoevskij è sicuramente foriera di numerose suggestioni per il penalista che permettono di riflettere sul crimine e sulla pena senza cadere in semplificazioni. La letteratura consente, infatti, al giurista di aver un'idea complessa e profonda della realtà umana, opposta a tentativi di schematizzazione. Delitto e castigo e Memorie del sottosuolo offrono molti spunti per delineare un significato di crimine e di pena. A una prima lettura, forse troppo debitrice della dicotomia tra razionalismo occidentale e irrazionalismo russo, il crimine in Dostoevskij potrebbe sembrare frutto di irrazionalismo. Come parlare di castigo potrebbe portare ad abbracciare l'idea che la pena in Dostoevskij risponda a una logica prettamente retributiva. Analizzando i due romanzi, invece, pare che il crimine sia frutto di una logica razionale: ergersi sopra la banalità, dimostrare superiorità. Un tentativo di razionalizzare il mondo e la sua apparente illogicità. Tentativo che però fallisce. Anche la pena non è affatto ispirata a una logica retributiva, ma appare come un percorso volto a ricucire lo strappo tra individuo e società causato dal crimine. La pena è dunque una lunga strada di sofferenza che, però, conduce il reo in un percorso di razionalizzazione del mondo e di conoscenza del significato della sua azione.

Provera, A., Razionalità del crimine e significato della pena in Dostoevskij, in Aa.Vv, A., Giustizia e letteratura -I, Vita e Pensiero, Milano 2012: 84-89 [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/52419]

Razionalità del crimine e significato della pena in Dostoevskij

Provera, Alessandro
2012

Abstract

The work of Dostoevsky is certainly rich with numerous suggestions that allow the criminal lawyer to reflect on crime and punishment without falling into simplifications. Literature in fact allows the jurist to have an idea of the complexity and profoundity of human reality as opposed to any attempt of schematization. “Crime and Punishment” and “Notes from Underground” offer many ideas for a better grasp of the meaning of crime and punishment . At a first reading, perhaps too indebted to the dichotomy between Western rationalism and Russian irrationalism, crime in Dostoevsky might seem to simply be the result of irrationalism. In the same way, to talk about punishment could lead to embrace the idea that the death penalty in Dostoevsky responds to a purely retributive scheme. Analyzing the two novels , however, leads to different conclusions. It seems for instance that crime is the result of a rational logic: to rise above banality and to demonstrate superiority, in an attempt to rationalize the world and its apparent illogicality. Attempt which failed. Punishment as well is not at all inspired by a logic give back or retribution, but it looks more like a pathway to mend the fracture between the individual and society caused by the crime. Penalty is therefore a long road of suffering and, however, it accompanies the offender in a process of rationalization of the world and of understanding of the meaning of his action.
2012
Italiano
978-88-343-2283-3
Provera, A., Razionalità del crimine e significato della pena in Dostoevskij, in Aa.Vv, A., Giustizia e letteratura -I, Vita e Pensiero, Milano 2012: 84-89 [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/52419]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10807/52419
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