Another alternative is to search for a system of thought which will provide an explanation for such a basic existential question as "Why is all this happening to me?" These could be philosophical, religious, or political systems of thought, most of them having spokesmen who seemingly are able to give answers. Unfortunately, they all require that a person accepts at least one basic point of dogma on faith — that is, one must not ask for proof. And that is unacceptable to many practical, logical people like Ivan. Therefore, Ivan must ultimately reject Alyosha the Baptist's interpretation of the universe.
Despite the fact that Ivan does believe in God, albeit a pantheistic pagan god, his answer to the existential question of modern man is fundamentally that of jean-Paul Sartre and other Existentialists. He decides to adopt a personal code of behavior similar to that of Hemingway's so-called "code heroes," whose highest satisfaction is derived from demonstrating "grace under pressure." Rather than adopting other people's behavioral codes (for example, the Ten Commandments), Ivan establishes his own set of morals, which are designed to help him survive with dignity. Since nobody can give him a logical explanation for his fate, he abandons all attempts at finding such an explanation and structures his life by the premise that there is, in fact, none. This allows him to concentrate on gaining satisfaction from following the standards he has set for himself. He does not have to please anyone about practical matters. This is graphically demonstrated by Ivan, particularly in his sense of self-reliance and in his "grace under pressure" behavior. He is a prototype of what Sartre calls a man "living in good faith," as well as a prototype for the common Russian, in whom Solzhenitsyn puts his hope for a better future.
