WHAT IS ART? & WHEREIN IS TRUTH IN ART? (Meditations on Aesthetics & Literature) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Essays on Aesthetics, Artistic Truth and Moral Philosophy in Russian LiteratureBy Leo Tolstoy
Length21h 2m
About this audiobook
In What Is Art? & Wherein Is Truth in Art?, Tolstoy advances one of the most uncompromising aesthetic theories of the nineteenth century. Rejecting art as mere beauty, pleasure, or cultivated refinement, he defines it as the sincere transmission of feeling from artist to audience. Written in a lucid, polemical, and morally urgent style, these meditations stand against fin-de-siècle aestheticism and academic criticism, placing literature, music, and painting under the scrutiny of ethical purpose. Tolstoy wrote from the vantage point of a novelist who had already transformed world literature with War and Peace and Anna Karenina, yet who later underwent a profound spiritual crisis. His religious and social convictions led him to distrust elite culture, institutional authority, and art divorced from common human experience. These essays reflect the mature Tolstoy's search for truth, simplicity, and universal brotherhood. This volume is essential for readers interested in aesthetics, literary criticism, Russian thought, or the moral responsibilities of culture. Even where Tolstoy is severe, his arguments remain bracing, provocative, and fertile, inviting readers to reconsider why art matters and whom it ought to serve.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- An Introduction draws the threads together, discussing why these diverse authors and texts belong in one collection.
- Historical Context explores the cultural and intellectual currents that shaped these works, offering insight into the shared (or contrasting) eras that influenced each writer.
- A combined Synopsis (Selection) briefly outlines the key plots or arguments of the included pieces, helping readers grasp the anthology's overall scope without giving away essential twists.
- A collective Analysis highlights common themes, stylistic variations, and significant crossovers in tone and technique, tying together writers from different backgrounds.
- Reflection questions encourage readers to compare the different voices and perspectives within the collection, fostering a richer understanding of the overarching conversation.
Audiobook details
GenrePhilosophy
Length21 hrs 2 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateApr 5, 2016
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Historical Context
4Synopsis (Selection)
5WHAT IS ART? & WHEREIN IS TRUTH IN ART? (Meditations on Aesthetics & Literature) (pt. 1)
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6WHAT IS ART? & WHEREIN IS TRUTH IN ART? (Meditations on Aesthetics & Literature) (pt. 2)
7WHAT IS ART? & WHEREIN IS TRUTH IN ART? (Meditations on Aesthetics & Literature) (pt. 3)
8WHAT IS ART? & WHEREIN IS TRUTH IN ART? (Meditations on Aesthetics & Literature) (pt. 4)
9WHAT IS ART? & WHEREIN IS TRUTH IN ART? (Meditations on Aesthetics & Literature) (pt. 5)
10WHAT IS ART? & WHEREIN IS TRUTH IN ART? (Meditations on Aesthetics & Literature) (pt. 6)
11WHAT IS ART? & WHEREIN IS TRUTH IN ART? (Meditations on Aesthetics & Literature) (pt. 7)
12WHAT IS ART? & WHEREIN IS TRUTH IN ART? (Meditations on Aesthetics & Literature) (pt. 8)
13Analysis
14Reflection
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