Tolstoy’s Concept of Happiness in the Light of Faith

Abstract

KULTURA – MEDIA – TEOLOGIA 34/2018 ABSTRACT: Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way, we see them, wrote Leo Nikolaevicz Tolstoy (1828–1910) one of the greatest writers of all times whose literary, philosophical, religious and artistic work transcended boundaries of his native Russia and influenced many of the prominent writers and activists of non-violence, amongst them M Gandhi and Martin L King Jr. In his youth Tolstoy led the life of a wealthy aristocrat who owned 300 serfs and committed many ‘sins.’ As Tolstoy states in his masterpiece work Confession (1879–82) he killed many innocent people in the wars. He could not justify his actions and at the age of 50 Tolstoy went through existential crisis and began the journey in search for the meaning of his life. He read Gospels daily, led ascetic lifestyle and created his own concept of ‘happiness.’ What was ‘happiness’ for Tolstoy? In the current study I attempt to examine Tolstoy’s concept of happiness through the analysis of the Confession and the Sermon on the Mount.