In Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoevsky, Raskolnikov's theory of the extraordinary man versus ordinary men is presented. These two divisions are very different, and as a result each one, according to Raskolnikov, comes with its own "rights." Eac of the two divisions' roles in society varies, with extraordinary men obviously holding a more prominent position. Eventually, however, Raskolnikov can not make the distinction himself, so his theory falls apart.
The basis of the theory of the extraordinary man versus the ordinary man is that each has certain rights. Ordinary men are great in number while having few priveledges. They must conform to the rules and regulations of society and cannot "transgress" any laws. Extraordinary men, on the other hand, are quite few in number, but they have a "right" to "overstep obstacles" to fulfull their goals. This "right," however, is not legal, but is overlooked for the sake of the benefit of mankind. The more extraordinary a man is, the more extensive his rights are, and the more crimes he can commit.
With this said, it is important to extablish the distinction between the two and their roles in society. An extraordinary man is one who expresses a new idea, never discussed before. They have a special gift or talent and something new to say. An ordinary man's only goal is to produce extraordinary people. The ordinary "preserve the world and increase and multiply, while the extraordinary "move the world and guide it to its goal."
Raskolnikov thinks of himself as an extraordinary man, but realizes he is not, causing his theory to fall apart. By murdering the pawnbroker, Raskolnikov tests his theory, but the guilt and suffering he experiences afterwards reveals he was not extraordinary. Thus Raskolnikov no longer considers himself extraordinary and no longer believes in his own theory.
Extraordinary and ordinary men are very different and their roles in society are quite different. Their rights are different, with extraordinary men viewed as more important. However, because Raskolnikov is no longer extraordinary, he abandons his theory.