D ostoevsky and F reud: Autonomy and Addiction in Gambling

In this paper the modern ideal of “autonomous” or “pure” gambling is put forward in an analysis of D ostoevsky's gambling behavior, his novel The Gambler (1866) and F reud's psychoanalysis of D ostoevsky. The significance of The Gambler lies in the way conceptions of gambling are related to the social conditions of gamblers. Furthermore, the author demonstrates that D ostoevsky and F reud express contradictory views on gambling addiction. While D ostoevsky primarily appreciated roulette as a means of making money, F reud mistakenly interpreted this as a “pathological passion”. In different ways, however, both approaches toward excessive gambling presuppose and reinforce “gambling‐for‐its‐own‐sake” – Le jeu pour le jeu .