“Bethink yourselves!” Or, in more modern parlance: “Wake up! Get a grip!”
Leo Tolstoy, known for the epic 'War and Peace', is far more blunt in this book.
The Russian novelist and philosopher wrote 'Bethink Yourselves!' to protest the Russo-Japanese war and call for people and nations to embrace pacifism and non-violence.
The message was prescient — but the 20th century turned into the most devastating 100 years in human history, including both the First and Second World War.
Using the words of Jesus as his inspiration, Tolstoy puts together a passionate and compelling case for the way of peace.
When written by one of the men who inspired Mahatma Gandhi's commitment to nonviolent revolution in India, it gains authority.
And well over 100 years on, with conflicts continually breaking out up to today, Tolstoy's words have a power that transcends time.
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was a Russian author, a master of realistic fiction and one of the world’s greatest novelists. Tolstoy’s major works include 'War and Peace' (1865–69) and 'Anna Karenina' (1875–77), two of the greatest novels of all time and pinnacles of realist fiction. Beyond novels, he wrote many short stories and later in life also essays and plays.
In the years following the publication of 'War and Peace' Tolstoy — who was born to a Russian aristocratic family — had a spiritual awakening that made him a committed Christian anarchist and pacifist. His philosophy inspired Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
