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Death Quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky

“To kill for murder is an immeasurably greater evil than the crime itself. Murder by legal process is immeasurably more dreadful than murder by a brigand. A man who is murdered by brigands is killed at night in a forest or somewhere else, and up to the last moment he still hopes that he will be…” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky
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““To kill for murder is an immeasurably greater evil than the crime itself. Murder by legal process is immeasurably more dreadful than murder by a brigand. A man who is murdered by brigands is killed at night in a forest or somewhere else, and up to the last moment he still hopes that he will be saved. There have been instances when a man whose throat had already been cut, was still hoping, or running away or begging for his life to be spared. But here all this last hope, which makes it ten times easier to die, is taken away FOR CERTAIN; here you have been sentenced to death, and the whole terrible agony lies in the fact that you will most certainly not escape, and there is no agony greater than that. Take a soldier and put him in front of a cannon in battle and fire at him and he will still hope, but read the same soldier his death sentence FOR CERTAIN, and he will go mad or burst out crying. Who says that human nature is capable of bearing this without madness? Why this cruel, hideous, unnecessary, and useless mockery? Possibly there are men who have sentences of death read out to them and have been given time to go through this torture, and have then been told, You can go now, you've been reprieved. Such men could perhaps tell us. It was of agony like this and of such horror that Christ spoke. No, you can't treat a mean like that.””

Fyodor Dostoevsky

About This Quote

Source Novel: Crime and Punishment, 1866

The passage argues that state‑sanctioned execution inflicts a uniquely cruel psychological torment because the victim knows death is inevitable, unlike death by random violence.

In simple terms: Legal killing is more terrible than murder by a criminal.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the moral weight of state power over life.

Themes

justice state power psychology morality death

Mood

somber reflective critical

Type

philosophical ethical literary

When to use this quote

  • court sentencing
  • war combat
  • capital punishment debates
  • ethical policy making

Key Concepts

existential dread authority human suffering

Questions to Reflect On

  • Can certainty of death be more terrifying than sudden death?
  • How should societies balance justice with humane treatment?
A Different Perspective

It assumes all individuals react the same way to certainty of death, ignoring personal resilience.

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