War and Tolstoy

What is War? The definition that I remember is one that goes something like this: War is a geopolitical issue that affects many people and ideas whether social, economic, religious and political. Mainly it is when two or more sides do not agree on one or other issues that affect society one way or another. I have read Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' and what a great read it was. To me it goes along with what is going on now with the world with the war in the Ukraine and when I was reading this classic there were a few pages that I thought defined the 'act of war' and how war and various religious ideas do and don't figure into various kinds of situations. Decisions must be made and adjustments made to fit what is going on in the lives involved.
In a section of Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' the Signet edition I will share with you from the Forward of the novel on the Roman numeral pages II and III what fits for a definition of war and religious values. 'War and Peace' that is authored by Leo Tolstoy says on page 932 with the character of Pierre and working out what he was dealing with during a certain battle. Pierre thinks that he understands the whole meaning and importance of the war (or any war) and impending battle. From what Pierre had seen of the war that day with all the significant and stern experiences on the faces that he had glimpsed in passing and appeared to him in a new light. Pierre understood that suppressed or (latent) as they say in Physics) the heat of patriotism in all those men he had seen which explained to him the composure and ostensible lightheartedness with which they faced death.
Tolstoy also seems to teach the basics of physics when describing the laws of motion of any kind become comprehensible to man only when he examines arbitrarily selected units of motion, and how activity and thinking affects human error "and how we solve our problems and various issues that affect us all in some way or another. Tolstoy also wrote that "all historians are agreed that the external activity of states and nations in their conflicts with one another finds expression in war and that the political power of states and nations increases or diminishes in direct proportion to success or defeat in war." "War is Hell!" as a few famous people have said throughout history or maybe just on television and in books. War is just at times a necessary evil during our lifetimes and Tolstoy was a novelist who will make you think about the various subjects and to see what you Believe.
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Comments
MegL wrote on December 17, 2022, 3:15 PM
I think war is a means of obtaining power over others or preventing them having power over you.
markgraham wrote on December 17, 2022, 4:07 PM
While I was reading War and Peace I just thought that it was almost like the present day. War seems to be the same no matter what century, decade or year you happen to live. It is a necessary shame in some cases.