Tolstoy Albert Camus Tolstoy vs. Camus

October 10th, 2012 – Tolstoy and Faith

Objectivist (Tolstoy) 

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Certain objective values that must be present in one’s life in order for it to be worthwhile Analogy – ingredients of a cake

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Subjectivist (Sartre)  

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Transcendentalist (Tolstoy)

All values are completely subjective They’re up to us to determine what is worthwhile for us Personal preference

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Divine being determines what makes a life worthwhile Faith is what makes life worthwhile for Tolstoy

Tolstoy He was adamant about helping people until he “changed”  He felt dejected, trapped, he was in a spiritual/cognitive depression  He thought “What is the point? Why”  The foundation of his life fell away, life became meaningless  Page 80 – he stated that we are mortal so we will die and end up as “stench and worms”  What is the ultimate meaning of life? Time destroys everything. He went around asking people (with knowledge) about life’s meanings.  Page 81, he was looking for a rational answer to the meaning of life Why do people choose to live if we cannot find a meaning for life?  He concluded that the answer was not in the realm of rational knowledge People had irrational knowledge that gave them answers  This is known as faith (in divine)  It is NOT rational! TRANSCENDENTALISM What is Faith?  Kierkegaard: The point in faith is that it does not make sense  “Take a leap of faith” (i.e., with love)  You are truly faithful if you hold the belief even if all evidence counts against it.

Albert Camus   

An atheist “Life is absurd”, “life has no meaning” The myth of Sisyphus – Gods punish Sisyphus because he overstepped his boundaries. He is forced to roll a boulder up a hill, then it rolls back down, then he has to roll it back up, repeat o This action is futile, it has no purpose, it is absurd o Metaphor for our lives  our life is just a boring and meaningless cycle

Tolstoy vs. Camus  

Tolstoy believes in faith Camus is an atheist. Since he does not believe in faith as the meaning of life, what does he believe it is?

October 10th, 2012 – Tolstoy and Faith

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Two Options to Look for Life’s Meaning Transcendentalism   

There is a meaning beyond life, it is external i.e., God Infinite

Imminent   

Meaning is within life itself i.e., a baby’s brief smile bringing meaning to parents’ lives Finite

Why is time intertwined within meaning?  

Just because something good lasts longer doesn’t mean it is better i.e., a brief smile from a crush vs. that same smile lasting forever  It becomes creepy/absurd

Art  

Before 1600s  Art was transcendental; it held some type of meaning After 1600s  Art is more imminent, the “meaning” is more obvious o i.e., a picture of a bowl of fruit o “Your kitchen is full of gods”

Conceptions of Gods God is transcendent   

He is beyond the ordinary world Outside ourselves Judaism verson - Deism – God is distinct from us but they are an impersonal force; just a force, not a person o i.e., a force initiates Big Bang but doesn’t attend to what results from it

God is imminent  

Within the world Pantheism – extreme – “God is everything”

God is an object of faith  

We don’t know what god is or what form he takes Kierkegaard – you have to be like Christ to be a true Christian, commit yourself unselfishly o Going through the motions vs. truly investing yourself

God is a moral being  

Somewhat like him being transcendent If god was moral, why is there so much evil/immorality and suffering in the world?