The Problem of the Meaning of Life in the Moral and Religious Philosophy of Leo Tolstoy

Abstract

The article is devoted to the specificity of Leo Tolstoy`s understanding of the meaning of human life. The problem of the meaning of life is of key importance in Tolstoy’s moral and religious teaching. Tolstoy regards the question of value and purpose of human existence as not only theoretical one, but also as existential and practical. Tolstoy’s failure to find the answer became the reason of deep personal crisis, which turned out the catalyst for his spiritual quest. Tolstoy’s original religious and philosophical synthesis as the doctrine of ‘the real enjoyment of life’ had become the direct result of this quest. In the article the author reconstructs and analyses theoretical sources and methodological grounds of Tolstoy`s philosophy of life and reveals them in terms of ‘the rational faith’ concept. Pondering the concept, the author appeals to the European classical philosophical theme of correlation between truth and the good and demonstrates the tendency to their identification in Tolstoy`s moral and philosophical teaching. This view allows Tolstoy to construct the epistemological, ethical and axiological grounds as necessary conditions for establishing the universal value and positive meaning of the human life. Thus Tolstoy`s faith accumulates in itself ‘the sense of life’ and ‘the strength of life’ assuring the reliability and continuity of the human Self. The analysis of Tolstoy’s concept of faith in all its complexity is independent task in the research. As a result this concept was presented as the way of direct understanding of the real essence of life and at the same time as normative and practical strategy of conscious and expedient human existence.