Dostoevsky’s Doctor: Active Love in Modern Medicine and The Brothers Karamazov

In this essay, the author draws from The Brothers Karamazov , a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, to consider the idea of love and its relevance to burnout in modern medicine. They argue that active love , as espoused by one of Dostoevsky’s characters, might help clinicians care for their patients even in moments of exhaustion or disillusion. Coherent with Dostoevsky’s Christian background, the author examines active love alongside the Christian concept of grace and Simone Weil’s concept of attention . These explorations may yield fresh insights for clinicians struggling with burnout in health care, as well as those striving to master the timeless art of caregiving.