Tolstoy: Difference between revisions
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[https://philosophynow.org/issues/54/Tolstoys_Theory_of_Nonviolence by Philosophy Now] | [https://philosophynow.org/issues/54/Tolstoys_Theory_of_Nonviolence by Philosophy Now] | ||
The idea of nonviolence entered into the cycle of Russian ethics on the wave of Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika. It struck a chord among society at large. Since that period, the attitude to pacifist ideas has changed considerably. This attitude can now be expressed by two words: doubt and disappointment. I would like to comment on one common opinion, namely that nonviolence can be considered only as a wonderful dream. It has moral attractiveness but there is no compelling force of logic to it. This is a widely held view, but I will attempt to demonstrate its falseness by discussing Leo Tolstoy, who more than anyone else is reproached for having an inclination to utopianism. | The idea of nonviolence entered into the cycle of Russian ethics on the wave of Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika. It struck a chord among society at large. Since that period, the attitude to pacifist ideas has changed considerably. This attitude can now be expressed by two words: doubt and disappointment. I would like to comment on one common opinion, namely that nonviolence can be considered only as a wonderful dream. It has moral attractiveness but there is no compelling force of logic to it. This is a widely held view, but I will attempt to demonstrate its falseness by discussing Leo Tolstoy, who more than anyone else is reproached for having an inclination to utopianism. | ||
=====Beyond War and Peace: Tolstoy’s Theory of Nonviolence===== | |||
[https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/beyond-war-and-peace-tolstoys-theory-nonviolence by Anya Tseitlin 8/7/25 HARVARD UNIVERSITY] | |||
The text below is a summary of the author's thesis, for which she was awarded the 2025 Kathryn W. Davis Prize for undergraduate research. The work was presented at our annual Undergraduate Colloquium on Russian and Eurasian Studies, which the Davis Center has hosted since 1996, when Kathryn W. Davis first committed her support to showcase work in the field by students from Harvard, Wellesley, and Wheaton colleges. | |||
Revision as of 19:24, 20 August 2025
Tolstoyan movement
Tolstoyans (Russian: Толстовцы, Tolstovtsy) identify themselves as Christians, but do not generally belong to an institutional Church. Tolstoy was a harsh critic of the Russian Orthodox Church, leading to his excommunication in 1901.[3] Tolstoyans tend to focus more on following the teachings of Jesus, rather than on his miracles or divinity. They attempt to live an ascetic and simple life, preferring to be vegetarian, non-smoking, teetotal and chaste. Tolstoyans are considered Christian pacifists and advocate nonresistance in all circumstances. Tolstoy's understanding of what it means to be Christian was defined by the Sermon on the Mount and summed up in five simple propositions:
1.Love your enemies 2.Do not be angry 3.Do not fight evil with evil, but return evil with good (an interpretation of turning the other cheek) 4.Do not lust 5.Do not take oaths.
Tolstoy’s Theory of Nonviolence
The idea of nonviolence entered into the cycle of Russian ethics on the wave of Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika. It struck a chord among society at large. Since that period, the attitude to pacifist ideas has changed considerably. This attitude can now be expressed by two words: doubt and disappointment. I would like to comment on one common opinion, namely that nonviolence can be considered only as a wonderful dream. It has moral attractiveness but there is no compelling force of logic to it. This is a widely held view, but I will attempt to demonstrate its falseness by discussing Leo Tolstoy, who more than anyone else is reproached for having an inclination to utopianism.
Beyond War and Peace: Tolstoy’s Theory of Nonviolence
by Anya Tseitlin 8/7/25 HARVARD UNIVERSITY
The text below is a summary of the author's thesis, for which she was awarded the 2025 Kathryn W. Davis Prize for undergraduate research. The work was presented at our annual Undergraduate Colloquium on Russian and Eurasian Studies, which the Davis Center has hosted since 1996, when Kathryn W. Davis first committed her support to showcase work in the field by students from Harvard, Wellesley, and Wheaton colleges.
