Ubermensch

"One death, and a thousand lives in exchange--it's simple arithmetic." -Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov, throughout the course of three months, had created a collection of his own thoughts on crime and punishment in an article entitled "On Crime." Porfiry, who is investigating a murder and feels Rodion is perhaps the culprit, has discovered this, read the piece, and tells Raskolnikov that he is very interested in learning about his ideas. Porfiry sparks a conversation with Raskolnikov on his ideology, primarily however to find out more about Raskolnikov's possible involvement in the crime and Rodion discusses his philosophy of man, Ubermensch.
Ubermensch is the belief held by Rodion that the human race is divided into two classes. The "ordinary" and the "extraordinary". The ordinary's vocation is to be obsequious to that of the "extraordinary", since based on Ubermensch they are riffraff. The "extraordinary" are much more above the normal man. They have the ability to transgress frivolous laws since they are the salvation, the future. Rodion tells of Newton, Mahomet, Napoleon, all being "extraordinary." According to Rodion under Ubermensch, Newtown if needed could've used the "ordinary" as genuine pigs to test his theories of gravity. "The first class of people preserve world, the second move the world and lead it to its goal." Despite the obvious superiority that the extraordinary people are afforded, Raskolnikov maintains that both classes have an equal right to exist. However without the "extraordinary" without their adeptness and moral responsibility to overstep the bounds of society at certain times, the world would have never progressed to where it is currently. The most brutal of men would still be standing on empty field trying to find new ways of attaining nourishment. If one had not transgressed traditional ideologies and made an innovation then, the human race would still pertain to that very same brute, on that very same field. Without innovation and efforts to survive, the human race as we know it would be dead, we live in an ever changing world and were going to need those "extraordinary" men to help us move along with the times, help us adapt to all the changes, no matter the situation. The fact is that Rodion's theory is somewhat correct. There are different people each of whom make earth shattering changes and others who just wait for their time to come, occupying space really. I feel that Rodion based this ideology on the benefit of mankind, although he did phrase it a very disturbing fashion and often times it seemed to serve as an excuse to defend his killings, whether for the benefit of mankind. The quote "the ends justify the means" comes to mind, as long is it's beneficial to the human race then everything will be forgiven, that to me is the heart, the true intentions if you will of Ubermensch.
The pawnbroker Rodion murdered under Ubermensch is somewhat justifiable. The wealthy pawnbroker, truth be known, was sadistic as well as crude, somewhat evil. Under Ubermensch an "extraordinary" is morally obligated to remove the "louse" for the overall benefit of humanity. Rodion taking her wealth for his own benefits is also justifiable since being that he is an "extraordinary" his goal is ultimately to help humanity, thus if he uses the money for his education to aid him in his very goal in the long run it would serve to be beneficial. The ideology as Porfiry had mentioned has base, it is Rodion who must carry it out on a morally correct fashion and not use it as justifiable reason to commit murder on just about anyone.
posted by Oscar P.