Chapter 3

The stark, almost brutal class distinction in Dostoevsky’s work—the way nobles regard the plebeians as almost invisible—is a recurring theme. This reflects Russia’s rigid class structure at the time, with the nobility living in a different reality from the masses, often oblivious to their struggles or even their existence. Dostoyevsky captures this divide with chilling precision.

But then, on the issue of gambling versus trade, it all becomes blurred for Dostoyevsky (Where do you draw the line between a longshot 100/1 & 4/3?). It’s about the existential and moral risk involved. For him, any engagement with money or chance exposes a person’s soul, their inner world. Whether you’re trading in the market or rolling dice at a table, you’re confronting the uncertainty of life and your own capacity to navigate it. The line between commerce and gambling is arbitrary because both ultimately hinge on chance and human frailty. However, modes of insurance, exchange & contracts among persons, households, firms, and government may account for a “safety net” that shortens odds.

It ties into Dostoyevsky’s broader preoccupation with the individual’s confrontation with freedom, fate, and moral choice. Just as the nobility see themselves as inherently above the plebeians, people engaged in trade often see themselves as above gamblers. But for Dostoyevsky, that distinction is an illusion—both are just different ways of grappling with uncertainty, both are methods of confronting the chaos of existence. That arbitrary line is a false comfort for those trying to avoid acknowledging the gamble life always is. Yet it incorporates highights an aspect of agency in padding one’s fate with some cushions.