Crime and Punishment: Raskolnikov as the Napoleonic Man (Video 7)

The famous scene where Porfiry lays out Raskolnikov’s underlying hope to be a Napoleonic Man happens in part 3, section 5. Before meeting Porfiry, Raskolnikov had three different psychological stances: he wanted to get away with the crime whenever he was confronted with accusations; he wanted to confess whenever he was alone; and he wanted to serve something larger than himself when that chance offered itself. His confrontation with Porfiry clarifies. The strong Napoleaonic men do not suffer from pangs of conscience when they kill or do what conventional men think is wrong. They see their wrong in light of what they are creating-and the beauty and power of their omelette makes the eggs that they cracked seem like nothing. Normal men do not make omelettes, so it is best that they life according to the established rules. On this view, conscience is entirely social conscience-a sense of right and wrong imbued into people by society.