The article deals with the question of the significance of N.N.Strakhov’s works for Dostoevsky’s novel The Idiot. In particular, excerpts from the History of New Philosophy by Kuno Fischer are analyzed. Passages from this work were published by Strakhov in the journals “Vremia” and “Svetoch” for 1861. Parts of Fischer’s History are important for understanding the philosophical ideas of Strakhov, and their significance for Dostoevsky’s novel The Idiot. Research shows that in terms of ideological content, Dostoevsky’s novel is polemically directed against Strakhov’s “idea of God”.