Why should you read “Crime and Punishment”? - Alex Gendler

Important Vocabulary Words From The Video

A claustrophobic person is afraid of enclosed spaces, such as small rooms or closets. They may also be afraid of heights.

  • She is claustrophobic and can't stand being in small spaces.
  • He is claustrophobic and can't stand being near the edge of a cliff.
lecherous

Lecherous means sexually interested in other people. When a person is lecherous, they are often mean and rude to other people.

  • He was lecherous and refused to give her the job.
  • She was lecherous and kept looking at him in a sexual way.
expounded

To expound is to explain something in detail. Sometimes expounding on something can be very helpful in understanding it better.

  • The professor expounded on the concept of justice in the class.
  • The writer expounded on the theme of love in her latest book.
yearnings

Yearnings are feelings of longing or desire. People often have yearnings for things that they can't have, or things that they once had but now miss.

  • Her yearnings for a family were so strong that she left her home country.
  • He had yearnings for the life that he once had, but he eventually realized that it was not the life for him.
rationalizes

To rationalize something is to find a reason to do something that is not actually logical. Sometimes people use the word to describe the act of justifying or defending something that is not actually justified.

  • He rationalized his decision to break up with her by saying that she was too busy.
  • She rationalized her decision to cheat on her test by saying that she was only trying to help her friend.
exploitative

Exploitative is a word that is often used to describe things or actions that are harmful or unfair. The workers who are exploited are usually forced to work long hours for little pay, and they are sometimes treated poorly.

  • The company is using the workers in an exploitative way.
  • The politician is exploiting the voters by giving them false promises.
egoism

Egoism is the belief that the only thing that is important is self-interest. This means that you should always put your own interests first, and you should not care about the consequences of your actions.

  • egoism is the underlying principle of capitalism.
  • egoism is the reason that people are often selfish and hurtful to one another.

Utilitarianism is a philosophy that focuses on the maximization of happiness. This means that the philosopher or theorist tries to find the best way to achieve the most happiness for the largest number of people.

  • utilitarianism is based on the idea that the greatest amount of happiness can be found by doing what is best for the majority.
  • The utilitarian believes that the best way to achieve the maximum amount of happiness is to provide everyone with the same amount of happiness.
moralizing

Moralizing is when someone tries to influence or control other people by telling them what is right and wrong. They often use moral terms like good and evil to do this.

  • The teacher was moralizing the students, telling them what they should and should not do.
  • The politician was moralizing the public, telling them what was right and wrong.