Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Associate Professor, Department of Russian Language, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Bachelor’s degree graduate from the Department of Russian Language, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This paper, through a comparative and analytical approach, explores the multifaceted dimensions of the concept of happiness in Dostoevsky’s philosophical and literary worldview. For Dostoevsky, happiness is not a fleeting sentiment or a superficial emotional state; rather, it is a profound, spiritual phenomenon intertwined with suffering, moral crises, and moments of existential confrontation. In these moments, the individual faces the most fundamental questions of existence—meaning, freedom, death, solitude, and identity—and through such encounters attains heightened self-awareness and inner transformation. By examining key moments of joy across Dostoevsky’s major works, the study demonstrates that happiness in his thought is often inseparable from the experiences of suffering, humility, love, and the quest for meaning. The paper first engages with a range of philosophical and mystical traditions, from ancient Greek thought (Aristotle) and Islamic philosophy (Avicenna) to Persian Sufism (Rumi), in order to illuminate both the convergences and divergences of Dostoevsky’s conception of happiness with these intellectual lineages. Drawing upon contemporary psychological theories, the discussion further argues that happiness in Dostoevsky functions as a form of moral perfection, spiritual salvation, and transcendent consciousness. For Dostoevsky, authentic confrontation with suffering, conflict, and doubt becomes the path toward a meaningful existence, wherein happiness emerges as a sign of self-realization. Ultimately, this study highlights Dostoevsky’s distinct departure from modern psychological paradigms that tend to reduce happiness to subjective, affective, or welfare-related components, emphasizing instead its existential, ethical, and transcendent nature-one that plays a decisive role in redefining human identity and the meaning of life.
Keywords
)