From autobiographical narrative to criticism of the state: nonviolence and moral responsability in Tolstoy

Abstract

This article delves into the thought of Lev Tolstoy, with a focus on his ideas on non-violence. It analyses how the author, out of an existential crisis, developed an ethic that rejects structural violence, state power and prevailing socio-economic doctrines. The exploration of the philosophical roots of his thought is done through the examination of key-concepts and the dialogue with other thinkers in three of his works: Confession (1882), The Kingdom of God is within you (1893) and Modern Slavery (1900).