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Leo Tolstoy - Coggle Diagram
Leo Tolstoy
Biography
19th Century Russia
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Crimean war 1853-1856, won by an Ottoman-led coalition
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Tsars Alexander III (1881-94) and Nicholas II (1894-1917) ruled autocratically and repressed dissent
A century of change and development, industrialisation and urbanisation. But terrible working conditions and much less developed than western Europe
Russia had a rich anarchist tradition: Bakunin, Kropotkin, Emma Goldman
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Went to university in Kazan, didn't get a degree but became a self-taught intellectual
As a student in the 1840s and 50s, called his years of shame. Upper class parasite, anti-urban feeling
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Marries Sophia Andreyevna Behrs in 1862, have 13 children of which 8 survive
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Travels, critiques western civilisation and modernity, ideas of progress, hypocrisy of aristocrats
Has an existential crisis in the last three decades of his life. Turns to asceticism, vegetarianism and celibacy
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Influenced many pacifists like Gandhi, anarchists, the just war tadition, black emancipation, and (failed) international communes
Anarchism
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Legislation enforced by violence is enslavement. Laws are always made for the powerful, the will of the people is never expressed in law
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Key source of oppression is the unequal access to land, which is protected by law
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The state is a protection racket that coerces, exploits and secures the subjects' allegiance. Complexity of the state bureaucracy makes it impossible for individuals to see their own complicity in the state's violence and take responsibility for it
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Philosophy
Intellectual trajectory
influenced by Rousseau. Critiqued the establishment, set up pedagogical experiments, inspired by his religious views
Experiments in education: no curriculum, no punishment, no rewards. Stopped by the Tsarist state which was concerned with his ideas of freedom
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Turns to Jesus' sermon on the mount. Rationalises Christianity, taking its core moral ideas. His political thought fully develops after his conversion
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Christianity
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Rejected most Christian dogma. Only accepted what appeared rational, physically plausible and logically defensive
Focuss on the person of Jesus. His moral teachings should constitute and examplary model of behaviour which everyone should imitate
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The purpose of life is to try and improve political, socio-economic and cultural conditions
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Pacifism
Increasing amount of warfare in the 19th century. Conscription into armies and rising nationalism. Political violence against domestic and external enemies
Expanding imperial ambitions, scramble for Africa
Russian imperialism in ANatolia, Caucaus, Central Asia, Manchuria
Violence and imperialism are incompatible with Christianity. Jesus taught us to "turn the other cheek", to love thy enemies and all foreigners since they are the children of God
The state is expanding and sending young people to their death - the state is the problem. Solution is to turn to anarchism
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Turning the other cheek will diffuse the dehumanisation of enemies and break the cycle of violence. An ethic we should all abide by whether Christian or not.
Most "Christians" aren't christian anyway since they don't commit to nonviolence. A cycle of love and forgiveness should replace violence
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War
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Engages in arms races with nations in the name of patriotism, debasing and corrupting people
Armies deployed against internal enemies to protect elite privileges - what they aquired by force from their own people or other nations
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Peace treaties and disarmament vows cannot be trusted. Because states always intend to remain capable of winning wars and need armies to subdue their own citizens anyway
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