Art begins when a man, with a purpose of communicating to other people a feeling he once experienced, calls it up again within himself and expresses it by certain external signs.
Leo TolstoyRead
Understand then all of you, especially the young, that to want to impose an imaginary state of government on others by violence is not only a vulgar superstition, but even a criminal work. Understand that this work, far from assuring the well-being of humanity is only a lie, a more or less unconscious hypocrisy, camouflaging the lowest passions we posses.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Imposing government through violence is hypocritical and counterproductive.
In this quote, Leo Tolstoy emphasizes that attempting to enforce a certain form of government through violent means is not only a misguided belief but also an immoral action that ultimately undermines the well-being of society. He argues that such acts are often driven by base human emotions instead of genuine concern for humanity's welfare, revealing a deeper hypocrisy in the motives of those who engage in such violence.
Themes
ViolenceGovernmentHypocrisyHumanityWell-Being
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on the ethics of governance, one might quote Tolstoy to highlight the dangers of using violence to enforce political ideals.
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