Writ Large On Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace"
Aug 23, 2022
In this engaging discussion, Samuel Moyn, a prominent legal scholar and historian, dives into Leo Tolstoy's impactful life and work. Moyn unpacks how Tolstoy's experiences as a soldier transformed him into a champion of non-violence, inspiring global peace movements. He also explores the complexities of humanizing warfare and the moral dilemmas surrounding intervention. Tolstoy's legacy is evident in the philosophies of influential figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., making his work a cornerstone in the fight for social justice.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Execution Shaped Tolstoy's Pacifism
- Tolstoy witnessed a public execution in Paris that shocked him deeply.
- This event transformed him from a privileged aristocrat into a non-violent anarchist.
Tolstoy Exposes War's Hypocrisy
- Tolstoy's Prince Andrei argues war hypocrisy makes wars deceptively humane.
- He suggests killing prisoners would reveal war's true brutality and reduce its occurrence.
Making War Humane Masks Immorality
- Humane war customs can mask the true immorality of war.
- Tolstoy claims condemning war crimes isn't enough to stop war itself.
