The anguish of being and the boredom of existing: delusion, fragility, and the collapse of transcendent illusions

Abstract

This article examines existential anguish in the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky and its connection to Emil Cioran’s philosophy, focusing on anguish arising from existential  awakening. Through a literary analysis of Crime and Punishment, it demonstrates how characters like Raskolnikov seek to transcend human mediocrity through extreme acts, only to fail when confronted with the reality of their finite condition. Anguish emerges as an identity crisis, exposing the contradiction between grandiose aspirations and human fragility.  In dialogue with Cioran’s philosophy, the article explores the interplay between boredom (existential void) and delusion (escape through utopian projects), revealing how the pursuit of meaning intensifies despair. It concludes that, for both authors, anguish is paradoxical: an inevitable suffering, yet also a path to lucidity about the precariousness of existence,  challenging individuals to reconstruct meaning without transcendent illusions.