Tolstoy's Confessions

Tolstoy’s confessions “the meaning of life”, he first starts out talking about the thought of killing himself because he was in despair and no longer wants to live; his life was meaningless to him. He wanted to find the answer to the question” what is the meaning of life? ” Or “why do I live?”, but in order to do so, he said that the branch of human knowledge was to answer the question of life. According to Tolstoy, if a person wants to live, then one has to understand the meaning of life, and seek it among people who sacrifice living, and not the ones who want to kill themselves (51). Answer the question from infinite to finite; Faith is irrational according to god’s laws; Laws of reason and experiment (83). Faith provides the answers to the question of life. Yes, I believe that Tolstoy’s confession has the correct view of life; people who value life are the ones who does not think of killing themselves because to them suicide is the greatest evil. Also, this is how we determine our life’s value - which people have to believe in themselves to move

on in life when they face difficulties situations or obstacles in their lifetime.
Nietzsche talks about the type “man” of an aristocratic society and the caste system: class ranks and the differences of worth among human beings. A good and healthy society is when an individual is imperfect; slaves rather than a kingship (100). People who have a higher rank in class can fulfill higher duties and existence. According to Nietzsche, to stop oneself from doing something evil is the Will to power, the fundamental principle of society. Nietzsche states that "Humans should be treated equally" and not all people are born equally successful. Actions and judgments are based on the "will of power". Exploitation is the consequence of the “Will to Power, that is “Will to Life”(100).The Master-morality is considered as “good” men - noble life and vigor, whereas, the slave- mortality is considered as “evil” men - death and decay (note in canvas). Nietzsche talks about the noble type of man; moral value applied to actions; creator of values and honors himself (101). He talks about slave-mortality; the slaves are pessimistic and that sympathy burdens the existence for suffers. I do not think that Nietzsche has a correct view of life because people who fall at the bottom of society can reach to the top or vice versa.
In Gilligan’s essay, she points out many psychological studies based on relationships between male and female. The comparison on gender differences based on development, mother-child relationship, life-cycle stages, and rules: games, roles: competitive achievement/conflicts, and stereotypes. Nancy Chodorow’s perspective on early childcare says that female personalities are more connected to other people than a male personality because the caretaker of a child is mostly female (103). Chodorow gives an example from Robert Stoller’s studies based on early child care, the mother-child relationship, and that the mother treats the sexes differently based on their gender identity. For instance, girls are more attached to their mother, than boys are which then cause the boy to become masculine and have a hard time in relationships, and the girls to be feminine and have problems with individuation. Gilligan talks about Erickson’s eight stages of development, and adolescence is the fifth stage where identity continues to precede as intimacy (106). Gilligan points out Janet Lever about Jean Piaget and Herbert Mead studies on gender differences based on games; girls tend to be cooperative, whereas, boys tend to be competitive. David McCellland’s perspective on sex differences in competitive achievement: boys (hope success and fear failure) and girls (fear success) because of their feminine personality to achieve success (107). I do not agree with Gilligan’s view on gender relationships, because I think it depends on the person itself, regardless of their gender. Nowadays, they are girls that do not act feminine for their gender and the same goes to the guys as well.
In Storr’s essay, he points out John Bowlby’s Attachment and Loss that a man in a imitate relationship needs the attachment from his caregiver (mother) support from infant to adulthood whenever he needs it, then he will feel secured.

As well as, he will have the confidence to love and trust other human beings. “Need for attachment extends far beyond the need for sexual fulfillment” (118). However, if an infant loses attachment from his mother for some reason, then the infant will slowly feel miserable and no longer care about the absent attachment of his mother. Storr talks about the loss of attachment of an important significant other can make life seem meaningless. In order to get over the loneliness, the person needs to be a part of a larger community than family members. Yes, I believe that Storr has a correct view of life that everyone needs some kind of imitate relationship in their life, so life has a

meaning.
Sartre’s Existentialism and Humanism theory talks about two existentialists; Christian and Atheist that existence precedes essence because of subjectivity. He gives an example using the paper-knife that the artisan knows what he is making and the purpose of it; following a definition and formula. Sartre’s atheist existentialist; if God did not exist, then mankind would feel abandon of his absence (123). There is no human nature; a man does not exist until he makes himself definable to himself and to mankind. Subjectivity is the first principle of existentialism. According to Sartre, he says that whenever a man makes a decision, it must be for him and for all men, and he must be responsible. “The good” does not exist because human beings lie and are not honest in their lifetime. (124). I believe that Sartre has a correct view on life because he has a good point on that people should be responsible for their actions and everyone else’s and this is how we determine our life.