Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-02

ToiIui as Philosopher
Il may be that after all Count Leo
Tolstol will 70 down to fame asa philos
opher rather than ~ novelist The
later tendencies oi hts writing have teen
toward the formulating Of a system tor
helping mankind TO get ON morn happily
In the world OF At leist TO lessen in some
way the misery Of existence
Since the Russian famine Tolstoi and
his wife aud daughters have worked I'm.
ccnsugly TO help the starving poor
They have given their time and mean.
and distributed all that others have sent
them Tolstoi himself nies from place
TO place IN the famine stricken districts
without stopping an honr rs II On
lowed with Youthful yigor and M iron
constitution Hat rain snow IN.
tense cold and abominablo roads arc
nothing to him. writes Dr. L. J Dillon
In The Review OF Rcvews
He explains In one OF his tracts on life
and society that hc does not consider
manual labor rs obligatory on every bu'
mau being lie only took 1t up with
his own hands rs protest against the
lAziness Of that ciietc society whose ten
dency is TO "shirk NIL such exeruon aud
profit by the drudgery Of the poor. w.
nornnt muses. without making any 70.
turn" Therefore he works with his
hands. His sole principle Of the philos.
ophy OF existence. that which he has
wrought out through years OF suffering
toll aud anxious thought. IA this. Il
never tool happy or even content I'M
less when quite certain that my work Is
helpful to oihcrsr
We all desire happiness for ourselves
We think We eau get II 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 ana working tor
them II roIstoi would add to this ono
thought his philosophy might DO i'm.
proved. II we could loyo ourselves uei.
Their more nor lcas than others. but work
for tho good Of an alike. others exactly
the same rs Tor ourselves, then there
might be real happiness Tolstoi would
have all mnnkind come into the plane Of
thought indicated Ia the following Il
know nothing and ! wish for nothing
beyond an understanding Of the true
meaning Of lifc--ot that life which /, Is
my lot to lead.
1t seems hopeless TO dream Of time
when mankind will love other people ~
well rs they do themselves But perhaps
IL a few Leo rolstois preach aud practice
this sublime doctrine In each generation
for few centuries. inen will begin To
see that one person can only find real
happiness in the happiness and woll
being Of all For want of this saving
knowledge the world stumblos on IN
misery and pain. Tolsioi concludes
with these remarkable words
Our entire activity. our striving after riches.
family, glory power arc but 10 many ondcuv-
Of 10 compel other 10 love us more than they
love themselves.
of the condition We desire, and we Hrc almost
taiisnUd at times we even iotgot that We have
gla-pcd an Illusion instead Ut reality.
All creatures love themselves better than
they love ia and happiness Il therefore lmpos.
sibic
Some pcoplc-and their number Is daily TO-.
crcusius- iludiug themselves face 10 face with
this problem and unable 10 discover a salts.
factory sulutiUn, put an end 10 their lives, say.
Ing that life Is u hollow, stupid Joke
And set the solution Is not only simple but
telf evident
can only be happy Il things be 30 ordained
that all creatures love otherH better than them.
sciy,a aud the whole world would be- happier
" all boings loved not themselves but their Tel.
lows.
am being, man, aud reason teaching me
the law 90 universal happiness. | am bound to
observe that law aud 10 love Others betior. than
ny self.
The instant We look at the question from THIS
point VI View life pTgsnnts itsuf to To- In colofs
Nety different from those In which We were
wont To behold II,
On the one hand human being. Rnnlhliate
each other, and On the other hand They love
aud help each other, Life, hoNryor {. main.
taintd not by the passion Of destroy iug. but By
the sentiment Of reciprocity, which, Ia tho
Language u our heart, We term love.
~ Tar a. II Inv, been given me TO trace the
development OF the lie " tho world have
found thcrr only the manifestation oi thi- one
principle of mutual hrlp, and universal his.
tory - nothing murr than the gradual growth
and slow development VI this unique principle
OF concord and good fellowship among all hu-
man beinss.