Summary—Chapter 5: So Be It! So Be It!
Alyosha follows Zosima back to his cell, where Ivan and
the monks are debating Ivan’s article about ecclesiastical courts.
Miusov, who considers himself a political intellectual, continually
tries to join the argument, but the other men, caught up in their
own discussion, generally ignore him. Miusov, already aggravated
by Fyodor Pavlovich’s taunting, becomes almost unbearably irritated.
Ivan explains that he does not believe in the separation
of the church and state. He believes that the church should subsume
the state, so that religious authorities administer laws, and ecclesiastical courts
handle the judicial process. Miusov tries to interject that this situation
would be “sheer Ultramontanism,” meaning that Ivan’s proposal would
create a situation in which the pope would have absolute power. The
word Ultramontanism refers to the fact that Rome, the seat of the
papacy of the Catholic Church, is literally “beyond the mountains”
from Russia and the Orthodox Church. The other men ignore Miusov.
Ivan insists that if the only courts were ecclesiastical courts,
the very notion of crime would slowly change. People would be much
less likely to commit crimes in the first place, he argues, because
they would know that in doing so, they would be acting not merely
against a government or a state, but against God.
Zosima, to the surprise of some of the others in the
room, agrees with Ivan’s analysis. He argues, however, that the
only real power capable of punishing crime is conscience. He says
that because the church knows that each individual’s moral sense
is the real authority, the church chooses not to become involved
in the state’s administration of justice. The men become so embroiled
in their debate that they forget about Dmitri’s lateness, and when
he suddenly bursts in through the door, they are slightly surprised
to see him.
Summary—Chapter 6: Why Is Such a Man Alive!
Dmitri asks for Zosima’s blessing and says that he is
late because his father’s messenger gave him the wrong time. Not
wishing to interrupt the debate, Dmitri finds a chair and sits quietly.
Ivan goes on to say that, in his view, the entire notion of morality
depends on the idea of the immortality of the soul. If people did
not believe in an afterlife, he says, there would be no reason for
them to worry about behaving morally. They could simply act to satisfy
their desires. This idea scandalizes Miusov and troubles Dmitri.
Zosima gently notes that Ivan himself is beset with doubt and advocates
positions he does not entirely believe, merely to toy with his own
despair.
As the debate enters a lull, Fyodor Pavlovich begins
to criticize and insult Dmitri. He accuses his son of dealing falsely
with his fiancée, Katerina, and deserting her after falling in love
with another woman, Grushenka. As the others look on in embarrassment,
Dmitri gives an angry reply that helps explain the conflict between -Dmitri
and his father: Dmitri says that Fyodor Pavlovich is jealous because
Fyodor Pavlovich also lusts after Grushenka and has made a fool
of himself trying to win her heart. Dmitri says that Fyodor Pavlovich
has even tried to convince Grushenka to collaborate with him to
send Dmitri to prison. The men go on shouting at one another, until
suddenly Zosima stands up. He walks over to Dmitri and kneels before
him. Then, wordlessly, he leaves the room. The others are baffled
by this gesture. As they prepare to have lunch with the Father Superior,
Fyodor Pavlovich leaves in a huff.
Summary—Chapter 7: A Seminarist-Careerist
When Zosima leaves the room after kneeling before Dmitri,
Alyosha follows close behind him. When Alyosha catches up, Zosima tells
him that he wants Alyosha to leave the monastery, rejoin the world,
and even find a wife. Alyosha is upset, but Zosima, smiling, tells
Alyosha that his path lies outside the monastery. Zosima says that
he has great faith in Alyosha, and then sends him away.
