Kiryakin A.V. Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche: God in an Absurd World or a World of Absurdity Without God
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/lp.jvolsu.2026.2.1
Aleksandr V. Kiryakin
Candidate of Sciences (Philosophy), Associate Professor, Department of History and Philosophy, Tambov State Technical University
Sovetskaya St, 106/5, Room 2, 392000 Tambov, Russian Federation
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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4391-7428
Abstract. The article explores the philosophical views of F.M. Dostoyevsky and Friedrich Nietzsche. It is examined how absurd the world is in which there is no God, as shown by Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche. The origins of Nietzsche’s views on the death of God and his criticism of Christianity are traced. Nietzsche’s criticism of Christianity is similar to criticism of L.N. Tolstoy. Nietzsche accepts the experience of the life of Christ, but Tolstoy does not accept Christianity. The good news did not influence his thinking regarding Christ as the figure who connects the transcendental God with humanity. There is a similarity between Nietzsche’s and Dostoevsky’s views and a connection between Nietzsche’s Übermensch and Dostoyevsky’s Man-God. the philosophy of Dostoyevsky is contained in his novels, so it is extremely important to establish which of the heroes expresses his views and whether they have integrity. It is alleged that the views of Dostoyevsky on the existence of God in the world are expressed by such heroes as Kirillov, Shatov, Ivan Karamazov, and others. Each of the heroes passes his Golgotha – successfully or not. For Dostoyevsky, it is important to show the temptation of his heroes, in particular, in the novel “Demons” by Shatov; to successfully pass the temptation, there is no Kirillov, and this is the essence of his fall. It is proposed to interpret the philosophy of Dostoyevsky through Nietzsche’s philosophy and consider their views on the existence of God in the world. It is argued that Nietzsche’s philosophy should be considered in Christian discourse, although the German philosopher could not take the last step towards God. In conclusion, it is argued that Dostoyevsky’s life was a complex and painful spiritual quest that never ceased in any of his great novels, while for Nietzsche, it ended with a curse against Christianity. Nietzsche found the truth of the prophet Zarathustra and proclaimed the world of the Absurd, but this truth drove him mad.
Key words: F.M. Dostoyevsky, F. Nietzsche, death of God, Übermensch, Man-God, philosophy of the absurd.
Citation. Kiryakin A.V. Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche: God in an Absurd World or a World of Absurdity Without God. Logos et Praxis, 2026, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 5-15. (in Russian). DOI:https://doi.org/10.15688/lp.jvolsu.2026.2.1
Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche: God in an Absurd World or a World of Absurdity Without God © 2026 by Kiryakin A.V. is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
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