关键词: 列夫·托尔斯泰;; 世界观; 普遍规律; 自我意志

Abstract:

Leo Tolstoy spent his life reconciling the demands of life and the demands of art, the contradiction between theoretical belief and instinctive judgment. On one hand, Tolstoy was fascinated throughout his lifetime with the problem of searching for the ultimate truth of life and building a kingdom of God on earth; on the other hand, he also respected the will of the individual, the true life in harmony with human nature. On the basis of summing up the discussions of this problem by western scholars, this paper interprets Tolstoy’s understanding of universal law and individual will from the aspects of his life experience and literary creation. The conflict between these two opposing propositions was reflected in the works of Tolstoy, such as Lucerne, The Cossacks, War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Rather than making a final choice between the two contradictory propositions, Tolstoy perceived universal law and individual will as two equivalent values, and was determined that universal law is only justified if and when it makes sense to the individual. Even in the later period of preaching the ethical teachings of Jesus, the author, too, showed respect for the will of the individual in his works, such as Father Sergei and Hadji Murat.

Keywords: Leo Tolstoy; worldview; universal law; individual will