Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-02-27
ToIstoi as a Philosopher.

ToIstoi as a Philosopher
1t may be that after all Count Leo
Tolstoi will go down to fame as philos-
opher rather than as a novelist. The
later tendencies of his writing have been
toward the formulating of system for
helping mankind to get on more happily
in the world. or at least to lessen in some
way the misery of existence.
Since the Russian famine Tolstoi and
his wife and daughters have worked I'M
ceasingly to help the starving poor.
They have given their time and means
and distributed all that others have sent
them. Tolstoi himself flies from place |
to place in the famine stricken districts,
without stopping an hour, "as If en-
dowed with youthful vigor and an iron
constitution" Hail, rain, snow in
tense cold and abominable roads are
nothing to him." writes DR.. E. J. Dillon
in The Review of Reviews.
He explains in one Of his tracts on life
and society that he does not consider
manual labor as obligatory on every hu-
man being He only took it up with
his own hands as protest against the
laziness of that effete society whose ten
dency is to "shirk all such exertion and
profit by the drudgery of the poor, ig-
norant masses without making any re-
turn" Therefore be works with his
hands. His sole principle of the philos-
ophy of existence, that which he has
wrought out through years of suffering
toll and anxious thought, is this, q
never feel happy or even content I'M
less when quite certain that my work is
helpful TO others"
We all desire happiness for ourselves
We think we can get it when others
love us better than they love themselves
But nobody ever does this, consequently
nobody is ever happy. Therefore let us
begin by loving others and working for
them. II Tolstoi would add to this one
thought his philosophy might be i'm
proved. If we could love ourselves mel
Their more nor less than others, but work
) for the good of all alike, others exactly
the same as for ourselves, then there
might be real happiness Tolstoi would
have all mankind come into the plane Of
thought indicated in the following: I'll
know nothing and | wish for nothing
beyond an understanding of the true
meaning of hfe-of that life which it is
my lot to lead"
1t seems hopeless to dream Of a time
when mankind will love other people as
well as they do themselves. But perhaps
if few Leo Tolstois preach and practice
this sublime doctrine in each generation
for few centuries, men will begin to
see that one person can only find real
happiness in the happiness and well
being of all For want of this saving
knowledge the world stumbles on in
misery and pain. Tolstoi concludes
with these remarkable words:
Our entire activity, our striving after riches
:. family. glory, power are but so many endeav
3 ors to compel others to love US more than thel
love themselves.
u Riches. glory. power give us the simulacruu
satisfied; at times we even forget that we hay'
grasped an Illusion instead Of a reality.
All creatures love themselves better thai
they love us and happiness is therefore impos
sible.
" Some people-and their number is daily In
~ creasing finding themselves face to face witt
y this problem and unable to discover a salts
"a factory solution, put end to their lives. say
: ing that life Is a hollow, stupid joke.
" And yet the solution is not only simple bu
:, self evident.
4 1 can only be happy IL things be SO ordaine'
- that all creatures love others better than them
~ selves and the whole world would be happie
- II all beings loved not themselves but their fe
II lows.
a am being. a man. and reason teaching m
m the law Of universal happiness, am bound Z
~ observe that law and to love others betterstha
myself.
- The instant we look at the question from thl
Z point of view life presents itself to us In color
lc very different from those in which wer
m went to behold II.
4 on the one hand human beings annihilai
I'M each other. and on the other hand they los
p and help each other. Life, however. il mali
- tanned not by the passion Of destroying. but b
y the sentiment Of reciprocity. which. in th
G language Of our heart we term love.
be As far as II has been given me 70 trace n
h. development of the life OF the world. has
r. found there onlxSse manifestation Of this on
ar principle of M - N "