Crime and Punishment: Raskolnikov's Extraordinary Theory of Man In the novel Crime and Punishment, the main character, Raskolnikov, has unknowingly published a collection of his thoughts on crime and punishment via an article titled “On Crime.” Porfiry, who is trying to connect Raskolnikov to a murder, discovered this article, read it and tells Raskolnikov that he is very interested in knowing his ideas. Porfiry brings Raskolnikov into this conversation primarily to learn more about Raskolnikov's possible involvement in the crime. Raskolnikov decides to take him up on the challenge of discussing his theory and embarks on an extensive discussion about his philosophy of man. Raskolnikov argues that by a law of nature men have been "somewhat arbitrarily" divided into two groups: ordinary and extraordinary. . Raskolnikov believes that the duty and vocation of the first group is to be servile, the stuff from which the world and society must be formed. The first group is the people of the present, of the now. The second group, the extraordinary ones, are a step above normal, ordinary people. They have the ability to cross normal boundaries and transgress the rights of those who are merely ordinary. They are the prime movers: they have the right to transcend normal social restrictions to accomplish those things that they have determined are valid in their consciousness. Extraordinary men are prime movers. He mentions extraordinary men like Newton, Muhammad and Napoleon. It tells us that Newton had the right to kill hundreds of men, if necessary, to bring knowledge of his discoveries to the world. Napoleon and other leaders created a new word. They overturned old laws and created new ones. They had the right to uphold their new ideal, even if it meant killing innocent men who upheld the old law. "The former preserve and populate the world, the latter move the world and lead it to its goal." Despite these huge differences in his theory and the obvious superiority that is granted to extraordinary people, Raskolnikov argues that both classes have the same right to exist. This is interesting, and anyone who sees huge problems in this theory must realize this very important point: both classes of men and women are necessary to understand the true meaning of Raskolnikov's theory. Without the extraordinary branch of men, without their ability and moral obligation to go beyond the limits of society at certain moments, the history of the world would never have progressed to the state in which we find ourselves now.