... and personal. The first question, the cosmological, is, "Why does the universe exist?" Leo Tolstoy, for many years, felt that the answer to this was, "Because it exists." Combined with the personal question, "Why do I exist?" Tolstoy was driven close to madness by his conclusions. Being rational and demanding evidence, he could ... he began to understand why he and the learned could barely live while the masses lived happily. When observing the majority of the world, Tolstoy began to see that those who lived without being completely rational were those who found purpose. People who were m...

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• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

In reading Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilyitch" I have found that there is significance to the philosophies of God as put forth in chapter four (p275-355) of Philosophy: A Text with Readings (Velasquez ... , "If it can go wrong, it will." Through even a simple story, complex meanings can arise. The more the story is read, the more is found. This was observed in reading Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilyitch." In the few times that I read it, I found some meaning in regards to the philosophy on the topic of God. These topics are atheism, questioning ... ...

• Word Count: 916
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... of people use the term Christian very loosely these days. Some people think it just means simply a person who attempts to live a good life. But what is the good life? Leo Tolstoy was a Russian novelist, philosopher, and playwright. He had hundreds of peasants that lived and worked on his estate. They worked very hard to live a decent life ... . "Tolstoy found in the lives of these peasants a spirituality that became a model for creating meaning and achieving happiness in this own life." Tolstoy viewed religion as the way to happiness and the good life. Living a good life could mean a lot...

• Word Count: 579
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School