Children Quote by Leo Tolstoy
““Was it by reason that I attained to the knowledge that I must love my neighbor and not to throttle him?. They told me so when I was a child, and I gladly believed it, because they told me what was already in my soul. But who discovered it? Not reason! Reason has discovered the struggle for existence and the law that I must throttle all those who hinder the satisfaction of my desires. That is the deduction reason makes. But the law of loving others couldn't be discovered by reason, because it is unreasonable.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: War and Peace, 1869
Moral intuition of love transcends rational deduction; love is innate, not a product of reason.
In simple terms: Love is instinctive, not logical.
Key Takeaway
Trust inner moral sense.
Themes
ethics
intuition
humanity
Mood
philosophical
reflective
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- conflict resolution
- personal relationships
- social justice
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
instinct
Questions to Reflect On
- Is love ever fully rational?
- How do we reconcile reason with moral feeling?
A Different Perspective
Reason can also guide compassionate action.
