Tolstoy’s Pacifism By Colm McKeogh

oppose injustice but that rejects the use of violence (though there are elements of passivity and nonresistance in it too). The fifth chapter looks at the political implications of Tolstoy's rejection of the use of force, principally his rejection of the state. The sixth chapter corroborates some implications of Tolstoy's pacifism by looking at his writings on sex. Any pacifist must answer the question as to the consequences of their rejection of violence for the continuation of society, civilization, or even the human species. This Tolstoy does forthrightly and honestly; he refuses to dilute his pacifism even if the survival of civilization or the species is at stake. The final chapter suggests that Tolstoy's legacy lies in his powerful statement of the urgent human need to connect our daily living to a deep and fulfilling conception of the meaning of life. Tolstoy's interpretation of Christian pacifism is too antipolitical to meet this need, but that need remains as pressing now as ever.