After talking to my brother today I found out he was reading The Brothers Karamazov (Did I spell that right? My russian is a bit rusty), a book I actually remember rather fondly. What I found most interesting in that book was Ivan’s argument about God found in the Grand Inquistor chapter (17 or 19?). For those who haven’t read it and IIRC, Ivan tells this story: Jesus has returned, and is promptly imprisoned as a Heretic. The Grand Inquisitor comes in to his cell and accuses him of wrongdoing. He uses the three temptations given to Jesus by Satan in the desert as evidence, saying that Jesus chose wrongly. Man would gladly give up a little freedom in return for any one of these offers, says the GI. Jesus doesn’t say anything in return.
Well, its a bad summary, its been four years since I read it, but I’ll continue. I found this to be an extremely powerful argument. It doesn’t prove or disprove God, but does make one question the value of faith and the value of Christianity in general. I also greatly admire Dostyevsky (Sp?) for creating a villian almost too powerful to overcome, as Dsky spends the rest of the book attempting to do, with questionable results.
I guess I’m just wondering if this argument is taken as a serious in intellectual circles or if it has been successfully combatted? Anyone have a take on it? Anyone know how to spell Dostyevsky?