1.

          Tolstoy's general psychological model of man.

          Art, science and transcendence contribute according to Tolstoy together in an organic unity the progress of mankind (pg.217). This progress of mankind is a reasonable and emotional development guided by our religious perception. Tolstoy supports this with his own psychological insights. He assumes that the human consciousness is differentiated in its manner of functioning. The reasonable part of his consciousness gives man an instrument to obtain information by exchanging his thoughts with other people. The emotional aspect in human consciousness is capable to communicate feelings with other humans. It is possible through this communication to perceive emotions coming from other people. The religious perception is the overall source of inspiration for both our feelings as well as with regard to our sense of reason. Tolstoy presupposes this psychological spiritual connection to be present with all people, and he calls it one of the fundamental characteristics of mankind. This religious perception has nothing to do with any institutional superstition (pg. 214). Apart from the fact whether people actually acknowledge this to exist, it has an indisputable and universal domain. It is the guiding and inspiring force that guides both our reasonable- and emotional development to a greater perfection. In brief, the organic unity between the different emotional, reasonable and spiritual elements of human consciousness determines the nature of human progress. This psychological model is illustrated in the next scheme.
 
 

          Tolstoy's vision concerning the role of art, science and transcendence in connection with the human development correlates with the differentiated functionality of the human psyche. In his opinion these different psychological elements have to go through their own characteristic and autonomous process of learning. Both our reasoning- and our feeling consciousness have a different process of learning, with each it's own specific type of knowledge. Art produces 'knowledge' fit for our emotional consciousness; science produces 'knowledge' fit for our reasonable and discursive consciousness. All of this knowledge is equally important for human progress, because they endeavour the most essential elements of our psychological constitution.  Tolstoy awards the emotional development of mankind an equally important role, as its reasonable development.
          According to Tolstoy art and science relate to man in their different levels of consciousness. The characteristic nature of art is to transfer in direct manner feelings that have someway been expressed to the emotional part of the human psyche. The knowledge one acquires this way manifests itself in a certain moral attitude. Science addresses the reasonable part of the human psyche, which is attuned to thoughts. With help of our discursive thinking knowledge gets produced.
           Tolstoy supposes that historically art and science are indispensable for human civilization to arise (pg. 60). Mankind has been able because of science to inherit by means of an evolutionary process the oral and written knowledge of previous generations.  And on their turn each generation has expanded this knowledge further to pass it on to the next generations to come. Mankind can also get to know feelings of people who lived thousands of years ago because of art. In this manner art makes an evolutionary development in getting better and friendlier feelings possible. From of old religious perception has inspired people to constantly improve art and science. Its definition of the meaning of live has founded the basis in every society for its evolutionary human progress.
 
 

BACK TO HOME PAGE

BACK TO CONTENTS

NEXT PARAGRAPH

Last updated April 29, 1999 author: Drs. T. J.  Kuijl ©1995-1999. Comments are welcome and can be send via e-mail (click on e-mail) Quotations of the content of this article should mention the author's name and its source. Copies of this article must leave the text unaltered including the copyright reference. Dissemination of  electronic copies is not allowed.