tolstovstvo

A Confession by Leo Tolstoy explores his personal spiritual crisis and search for meaning. Other notable works where Tolstoy delves into similar themes include What I Believe? (also known as My Religion), On Life, The Kreutzer Sonata, and The Gospel in Brief.

At the core of Tolstoy’s philosophy are several key principles: non-resistance to evil by force, universal love, and the moral self-improvement of the individual. Another central concept is simplicity, or oproschenie — a term coined by Tolstoy himself — referring to a deliberate return to a simpler way of life, both materially and spiritually.

Non-Complicity with Evil

In his later writings, Tolstoy developed a philosophy rooted in non-resistance to evil, drawn from his interpretation of Christianity, particularly the Sermon on the Mount. He argued that individuals must reject participation in systems that perpetuate violence, oppression, or injustice, emphasizing personal integrity and moral responsibility.

• Nonviolence and Pacifism: Tolstoy opposed war and any use of force, believing governments and armies inherently perpetuate evil. He called for total non-violence, urging refusal to serve in the military, even if it led to persecution.
  
• Civil Disobedience: Participation in government and paying taxes, he argued, indirectly supports violence and oppression. Tolstoy encouraged civil disobedience, similar to later figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., as a way to resist immoral systems.
  
• Personal Morality and Simplicity: He advocated for a life free from excess, promoting simple, self-sufficient living and rejecting the capitalist and industrial systems he saw as corrupting and dehumanizing.
  
• Rejection of Institutional Religion: Tolstoy criticized the institutional church, particularly the Russian Orthodox Church, for aligning with the state and endorsing violence, wealth, and power.
  
• Moral Autonomy: He emphasized that individuals must follow their conscience, living morally even if it means standing alone, and rejected the idea that obedience to orders or societal norms could justify immoral actions.

linked mentions for "tolstovstvo":

1. comments from tolstoy and blyth
   Tolstoy wrote about suffering: “He was suffering the anguish men suffer when they persist in undertaking a task impossible for them–not from its
   
2. principles
   An ongoing exercise of radical introspection expressed through first-person singular writing, the slash-principles page serves as a fluid document that reflects my evolving truths, beliefs, and principles. Discomfort is not an enemy, it’s a teacher! Each tenet is shaped and refined by the hard choices I make, aligning with my personal raison d'être and ikigai.