Authors

Laura-Diana Matei¹;  ¹ N/A, UK

Discussion

In this study we aim to show the ways in which one's individuality may be forgotten until its ultimate abolition. Considering the self-identity as an awareness of one's true self, their spiritual being but not least their free will, the dislocation of self-identity may be seen as a process of final disruption of the self, in which the individual is slowly, but effectively seduced to becoming finally enslaved by what Dostoevsky and his exegesis have named the Idea that finally becomes an Ideology. The idea-ideology, as a metaphysical concept, embodies not necessarily an individual self, but mostly a 'product' of more social selves reunited into one ideology. So, the idea-ideology is in the first place a collective social construct that takes shape, grows, and finally succeed in auto-creating itself, until it becomes even more powerful than its initial human creators. Consequently, the idea-ideology tends to be defined as a loose power with a blind wild will that is able to rule and finally dominate the world that created it in the first place. The power of the idea-ideology stays firstly in the loyalty that always needs to be shown by its human servants. In this metaphysical context, the conflicts between humans along the entire history have been created particularly by the oppositions between different ideas-ideologies. The people's hostility against other people originates also from the abnegation of their own individualities, seen now like a profound internal disruption of the selves during the process of their absolute dedication until their final capitulation to different kinds of ideologies. The external conflicts, materialised in revolutions, wars, and fights are mostly borne by people enslaved passionately by the ideas and ideologies. Thus, the ideatic fight is concretised into a physical battle. The idea alone can not fight for itself, because it belongs to an ideal, abstract level. Therefore, the idea-ideology always needs a servant in the physical realm and the chosen one is always the human being. This human being is the one pawn that finally bears battles with their human fellows, friends, relatives, brothers and sisters, and the more passion is invested in the idea-ideology, the more tense the fight becomes. So, what is hidden behind all these ideas-ideologies? Or who? Is the idea good or bad? Are they angels or demons? In "Demons", Dostoevsky reveals the danger of the ideologies that can quickly find many human followers and victims, especially during transition periods or in times of crisis. Viewing history from this perspective, it becomes pretty obvious that actually not the individuals are fighting with one another, but the ideas-ideologies that are able to transform even the purest human souls into the most fearless combat weapons totally devoid of empathy. Tragically, real blood is poured and real people are dying for the sake of ideologies.