Mekhed, G. N. The Problem of Theodicy in Kant’s and Dostoevsky’s Ethics

Abstract: The article is devoted to theodicy and its role in Kant’s and Dostoevsky’s philosophies. The author of the article tries to show that the problem of theodicy appeared in Kant’s and Dostoevsky’s work as a part of the question about the moral ideal, freedom and responsibility. Despite different approaches and quite obvious difference in their concepts of rationality as well as philosophizing methods, both of these philosophers have many topics in common. In particular, they both talked about the relation between the absolute and personal freedom, from one side, and the problem of the moral idea form the other. Both Kant and Dostoevsky were also interested in the problem of self-will and how it relates to freedom and autonomy. However, despite the philosophers’ belief that it was impossible to solve the problem of theodicy, the author shows that Kant and Dostoevsky had very different definitions of freedom as well as borders and logic of moral reasoning.

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