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A study on Non-violence:
TOLSTOY & GANDHI
Tatiana Blagova
The project “Tolstoy and Gandhi on ron-violence with a special reference to Jainism” is part of my research and pedagogical ende. vours sponsored by Russian state Educational Committee which awarded me a grant to accomplish a students textbook “Introduction to Russian philosophy".
At present marxist-Leninist-Stalinist-Brezhnivist ideology has been abolished and we are looking for new spiritual veltshaung (outlook) in terms of national identity. We turn to the legacy of our great thinkers in attempt to reinterpret their ideas as relevant to modern time. Teachers and students alike feel a great demand of
extbooks on social sciences and humanities sincerely presenting Russian Intellectual history.
With this purpose in view re-valuation of Tolstoy's legacy is an urgent problem, Under soviet regime his teaching has been grossly distorted. Lenin harshly criticised the first apostole of non-resistance to evil by violence and since that time our ideology was based on class struggle, violent revolution and bloodshed. The theme "Tolstoy and Gandhi on non-violence" has been neglected in our historical literature. I was invited to Jain Vishva-Bharati Institute (Deemed University) to study both Gandhi's works and related literature,
From Gandhi's autobiography we know that Tolstoy's writings such as “My confession” (1879). “My Religion” (1884), "What shall we do then” (1884), “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you”, “The death of Ivan llych” moved Gandhi profoundly. Gandhi admitted that he was in debt to Russian thinker and novelist.
1. My primary purpose was to identify specific sources of the
Gandhian thought that owe their development to the
Tolstoyan influence. 2. Both men entered the core of national consciousness of their
respective countries, I also directed my efforts to investigate how they had changed our mentality. 3. To paint out significant similarities as well as differences in
character traits of these great personalities was also part of my studies.
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