"Detachment (actions performed mechanically, unconsciously) is the basis of true life, the basis of moral perfection. Life is the striving for perfection. Man's accomplishments add to the domain of what is experienced, of habit, and man makes new efforts to add habits to the sphere of the unconscious. Struggle is always negative. Nor can it be otherwise, since life means liberation. Release takes place. Our life's work is to do nothing that opposes liberation. Therefore the deed is the awareness of life and combating everything that stands in its way. The effort that transforms something done into habit is the most important thing, the only work of life. Without effort, there is no human life, only animal life. Materialists are very right when, speaking of animal life, they reduce it to the struggle for existence and the formation of habits. But if we talk about human life, we have to explain its main quality, striving. What is striving from a materialistic point of view?
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Author
Leo TolstoyAll Translations
All Translations
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Detachment (actions performed mechanically, unconsciously) is the basis of true life, the basis of moral perfection. Life is the striving for perfection. Man's accomplishments add to the domain of what is experienced, of habit, and man makes new efforts to add habits to the sphere of the unconscious. Struggle is always negative. Nor can it be otherwise, since life means liberation. Release takes place. Our life's work is to do nothing that opposes liberation. Therefore the deed is the awareness of life and combating everything that stands in its way. The effort that transforms something done into habit is the most important thing, the only work of life. Without effort, there is no human life, only animal life. Materialists are very right when, speaking of animal life, they reduce it to the struggle for existence and the formation of habits. But if we talk about human life, we have to explain its main quality, striving. What is striving from a materialistic point of view?
""Desprinderea (acțiunile săvârșite mecanic, inconstient) e temeiul adevăratei vieți, temeiul desăvârșirii morale. Viața e strădania în atingerea desăvârșirii. Înfăptuirile omului se adaugă la domeniul celor trăite, al deprinderii, iar omul face noi eforturi pentru a adauga deprinderi în sfera inconștientului. Strădania e mereu negativă. Nici nu poate fi altfel, din moment ce viața înseamnă eliberare. Eliberarea se săvârșește. Fapta vieții noastre este să nu înfăptuim nimic care opune eliberării. Prin urmare fapta este conștientizarea vieții și combaterea a tot ce îi stă în cale. Strădania care transformă ceva înfăptuit în deprindere e lucrul cel mai important, singura faptă a vieții. Fără strădanie, nu există viață omenească, ci doar viață animalică. Materialiștii au mare dreptate când, vorbind despre viața animalică, o reduc la lupta pentru existență și formarea deprinderilor. Dar, dacă vorbim despre viața omenească, trebuie să explicăm principala ei calitate, strădania. Ce e strădania din punct de vedere materialist?"