Lang, G (2014) What does Ivan Ilyich need to be rescued from? Philosophy, 89 (2). 325 - 347. ISSN 0031-8191
Abstract
Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich describes how a man's exposure to imminent death allows him to secure redemption from a flawed life. Through close textual attention to Tolstoy's novella and extensive engagement with Frances Kamm's treatment of it, this article quarrels with this 'Redemption View' of Ivan's case, offering a sourer, more pessimistic view. It is argued that Ivan's reconciliation to death is facilitated by a series of mistakes he makes en route to his dying moments. Two more general lessons are drawn: first, that we are all vulnerable to the mistakes Ivan makes, and second, that reflection on the quality of our lives does not present us with any obvious resources for coming to terms with our own deaths.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Royal Institute of Philosophy 2013. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Philosophy. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science (Leeds) > School of Philosophy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 09 Oct 2015 13:12 |
Last Modified: | 09 Oct 2015 13:12 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031819113000764 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/S0031819113000764 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:86465 |