The ethical conception of Leo Tolstoy in the interpretation of Maximilian Voloshin

Abstract

The article examines the interpretation of Leo Tolstoy’s ethical conception provided by a Russian poet Maximilian Voloshin. A brief exposition of Tolstoy’s ethical conception position of a person’s concern for their soul is provided. In this regard, the requirements of love and nonviolence are not of value in and of themselves but are subordinate to the main cause of salvation, the improvement of a person’s soul. This is the point on which Voloshin focuses his criticism reproaching Tolstoy for selfishness. Non-resistance to evil by violence is paradoxically interpreted by Voloshin as evasion from evil. Voloshin emphasizes that Tolstoy’s understanding of evil is simplified due to his failure to understand the sinful nature of mankind. Voloshin opposes Tolstoy’s ethics interpreted by him in this manner with his own ethical conception suggesting that it is necessary to not move away from evil in the world but, on the contrary, take it into oneself and strive to transform it with the internal forces of good. In conclusion, it is examined that despite their differences both thinkers agreed that responding with evil to evil is unacceptable from the point of ethics. Both Tolstoy and Voloshin were also characterized by the implementation of their ethical provisions in their personal lives.

Keywords

• leo tolstoy
• maximilian voloshin
• ethics
• non-resistance to evil
• good
• evil