A Confession
by Leo Tolstoy
'A Confession ' Summary
Tolstoy goes on to describe four possible attitudes towards this dilemma. The first is ignorance. If one is oblivious to the fact that death is approaching, life becomes bearable. The problem with this for him personally is that he is not ignorant. Having become conscious of the reality of death, there is no going back.
The second possibility is what Tolstoy describes as Epicureanism. Being fully aware that life is ephemeral, one can enjoy the time one has. Tolstoy's problem with this is essentially moral. He states that Epicureanism may work fine and well for the minority who can afford to live "the good life," but one would have to be morally empty to be able to ignore the fact that the vast majority of people do not have access to the wealth necessary to live this kind of life.
Tolstoy next states that the most intellectually honest response to the situation would be suicide. In the face of the inevitability of death and assuming that God does not exist, why wait? Why pretend that this vale of tears means anything when one can just cut to the chase? For himself, however, Tolstoy writes that he is “too cowardly” to follow through on this most “logically consistent” response.
Finally, Tolstoy says that the fourth option, the one he is taking, is the one of just holding on; living “despite the absurdity of it,” because he is not willing “or able” to do anything else. So it seems “utterly hopeless” - at least “without God”.
So Tolstoy turns to the question of God's existence: After despairing of his attempts to find answers in classic philosophical arguments for the existence of God (e.g. the Cosmological Argument, which reasons that God must exist based on the need to ascribe an original cause to the universe), Tolstoy turns to a more mystical, intuitive affirmation of God's presence. He states that as soon as he said "God is Life," life was once again suffused with meaning. This faith could be interpreted as a Kierkegaardian leap, but Tolstoy actually seems to be describing a more Eastern approach to what God is. The identification of God with life suggests a more monistic (or panentheistic) metaphysic characteristic of Eastern religions, and this is why rational arguments ultimately fall short of establishing God's existence. Tolstoy's original title for this work indicates as much, and his own personal "conversion" is suggested by an epilogue that describes a dream he had some time after completing the body of the text, confirming that he had undergone a radical personal and spiritual transformation.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
RussiaPublished In
1882Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author
Leo Tolstoy
Russia
Born to an aristocratic Russian family in 1828, Tolstoy is best known for the novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878),often cited as pinnacles of realist fiction. He first achieved litera...
More on Leo TolstoyListen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Observations and Reflections by Augustus M. Toplady
These considerations by Mr. Toplady, and the extracts, are arranged under their respective heads. Diamonds never appear so splendid, as when set in a...
The Essence of Christianity by Ludwig Feuerbach
This book is the foundation of modern atheism. There is scarcely any argument used today by atheists against the existence of God that Feuerbach had n...
Just Stories: The Kind That Never Grow Old by Winfrid Herbst
Good Books are wise counselors. They point out the right way in the devious paths of life. Have we not often stood at the juncture of two roads, the o...
An Introduction to Yoga by Annie Besant
It provides an accessible introduction to the philosophy and practice of yoga, with a focus on the teachings of the Indian sage, Patanjali. Besant exp...
The Chief Evils of the Times by Rev. Heinrich Nagelschmitt
It offers a scathing critique of the social and political conditions of America in the late 19th century. He examines issues such as poverty, corrupti...
Her Associate Members by Pansy (Isabella Macdonald Alden)
Step into the exclusive world of "Her Associate Members" by Pansy, a captivating novel that unveils the hidden layers of friendship, self-discovery, a...
Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation by Lafcadio Hearn
In this posthumously published book, he takes a closer look at Japan's religious history: How it developed from ancient beliefs into Shintoism, resist...
The Mortification of Sin in Believers by John Owen
John Owen, in this Puritan classic, writes succinctly of the matters of the heart in dealing with sin in the life of the Christian. In a way that cuts...
The New Organon by Francis Bacon
The Novum Organum is a philosophical work by Francis Bacon published in 1620. The title translates as "new instrument". This is a reference to Aristot...
Reviews for A Confession
No reviews posted or approved, yet...