negation of the possibility of individual good remains an unchangeable truth for every man of our period who is endowed with reason.”
Then follows a long series of postulates, which I will not here discuss, but which show how Tolstoy was obsessed by the idea of reason. It was in fact a passion, no less blind or jealous than the other passions which had possessed him during the earlier part of his life. One fire was flickering out, the other was kindling; or rather it was always the same fire, but fed with a different fuel.
A fact which adds to the resemblance between the “individual” passions and this “rational” passion is that neither those nor this can be satisfied with loving. They seek to act; they long for realisation.
“Christ has said, we must not speak, but act.”
And what is the activity of reason?—Love.
“Love is the only reasonable activity of man; love is the most reasonable and most enlightened state of the soul. All that man needs is that nothing shall obscure the sun of reason, for that alone can help him to grow… Love is the actual good, the supreme good which resolves all the contradictions of life; which not only dissipates the fear of death, but impels man to sacrifice himself to others: for there is no love but that which enables a man to give his life for those he loves: love is not worthy of the name unless it is a sacrifice of self. And the true love can only be realised when man understands that it is not possible for him to acquire
