“The ordinary man has no right to step over... but the extraordinary man has the right to commit any crime and to step over the law, according to his conscience.”Feodor Dostoievski · Crimă și pedeapsă · 1866 · Partea III, capitolul V
The theory of exceptionalism is the trap the mind builds to justify its own crime.
The line belongs to Raskolnikov's theory of extraordinary people who may step over common morality because of some historical mission. Its mechanism is seductive: it tells you rules do not apply to the strong-willed. The novel dismantles it by showing that after the murder Raskolnikov's conscience collapses just like anyone else's. The theory is a trap the mind builds for itself.
Why it matters It helps you recognize the rationalizations by which someone, including yourself, justifies an abuse of power by claiming exceptional status.