Religious meaning

AGENDA

1. Tolstoy's crisis
2. Resolution
3. Next reading--was Tolstoy suffering a midlife crisis? 

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Tolstoy, Confession (continued) - kindle version

CHAP 1-2 Tells story of his life

CHAP 3- 4 Crisis

Tolstoy "has it all" but around age 50 (~1878) he has a crisis and begins to think life has no meaning. The crisis is brought on by thinking about death.  "If everything dies or comes to an end, what's the point of anything I do?" 

The argument for meaninglessness

1. If death brings everything to an end, then life is meaningless.
2. Death does bring everything to an end.  THEREFORE
3. Life is meaningless.

The argument for despair

1. Life is meaningless. 
2. If life is meaningless, I have nothing to live for. THEREFORE
3. I have nothing to live for.  [despair] 

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CHAP V -- Looks for answers in science

• Pivot: have I made some kind of mistake? 138
• What's the question? 139-140
• looks for answers in science

CHAP VI -- Looks for answers from great thinkers

• Socrates, Schopenhauer, Ecclesiastes, Buddha
• they all find value in death instead of affirming the meaning of life

CHAP VII -- Four strategies for coping + turning point

1. The way of ignorance
2. Epicureanism -- enjoy pleasures of life (Mill) -- ignore the mice, enjoy the honey
3. The way of strength -- end your life
4. The way of weakness -- wish to end it, but don't

Turning point

• 160  "a dim awareness of the wrongness of my thoughts"
• 161  "the whole of mankind" understand the meaning of life (DO THEY?)
• 162  the wisdom of laborers

CHAP VIII -- The wisdom of the masses

• 165 -- they don't employ any of the four strategies (ignorance, pleasure, etc.)
• 166 -- they "get" the meaning of life .... because of their faith...
• Tolstoy's circle -- too frivolous, 

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Empirical interlude

Tolstoy's claim: low-income religious laborers have a sense of meaning whereas wealthy, irreligious, upper class people in his circle are vulnerable to a "crisis of meaning" like his

1. Data on meaning and religion
2. Data on life satisfaction and wealth
3. Looking for data on meaning and wealth

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CHAP IX -- The answer, the search for faith

• 168 -- he finds the answer! 
• Rest of the book-- laying doubts to rest, coming to believe
• 177 -- he accepts faith, God 

CHAP XI - XVI Finding faith

• 186-187 (last para especially)
• which religion? a universal, inclusive religion without ideology

POSTSCRIPT - WALKING THE TALK

• future writing had religious themes
• transferred copyrights to his wife
• tried to have a celibate marriage
• spent time in monasteries

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The two arguments, now refuted

The argument for meaninglessness

1. If death brings everything to an end, then life is meaningless.
2. Death does bring everything to an end.  THEREFORE
3. Life is meaningless.

The argument for despair

1. Life is meaningless. 
2. If life is meaningless, I have nothing to live for and may as well be dead. THEREFORE
3. I have nothing to live for and may as well be dead.  [despair]