Tolstoy on Art, Morality, Sincerity and the Counterfeit

 

Tolstoy in 1908 at almost 80. Wikimedia Public Domain

Tolstoy’s position on what gives value to works of art rests on the theory that universal feeling is a necessary condition of genuine art. Art that does not satisfy this condition is counterfeit: “It is not a work of art if it does not invoke that feeling of joy and spiritualism with another.”

Definitions of Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

A “necessary condition” is a quality without which the work would not meet the requirement of being judged as art. It is applied, in common, to all works described as art, for example: X is a necessary condition of Y (if, and only if) Y cannot be without X.  (A “sufficient condition” specifies a quality that may be present in a work of art and is sufficient in itself to justify the label of art. If not sufficient, this could be because it occurs in other artifacts or works of nature that are not art.)

Although Tolstoy believes, unlike Plato, that art can improve us morally, he asserts that most art is bad and has a negative moral effect. In addition, some professed works of art are trivial and perform no moral function.

A United Brotherhood of Man

Tolstoy’s philosophy strives for a brotherhood of man united in moral values, he deplores the elitism of much art. This abuse he blames on the upper classes, from whom

“…a conviction arose that art may be art and yet be incomprehensible to the masses.”

However, most people understand: “…

"...the very best art; the epic of Genesis, the Gospel parables, folk-legends.”

From this, it follows that all can gain morally from such art because, “

"…every man’s relation to God is one and the same”.

Tolstoy stresses the value of art as a means of universal morality through communication.

“Art, like speech, is a means of communication and, therefore, of progress, that is, of the movement of humanity forward towards perfection.”

The counterfeit art of the upper classes inhibits this ideal concept.

“Universal art arises only when some one of the people, having experienced a strong emotion, feels the necessity of transmitting it to others.”

Sincerity, Tolstoy believes, is another necessary condition of artwork that is morally valuable; it must transmit feeling, clearly, so that the recipient can experience for him/herself.

Tolstoy’s Necessary Conditions and the Upper Classes

The upper classes fail to meet these necessary conditions; their art does not derive from sincerity.

“The upper classes demand amusement and pay well for it.”

This counterfeit art may be borrowed from former works, thus excluding his necessary condition of sincerity. Secondly, it may be produced through imitation, using fine detail:

“…disconnectedly, and with interruptions and omissions.”

Thirdly, it may be produced through “striking,” which means the bringing together of contrasts, for example, “pornographic details” and the “presentation of the horrible.”

The fourth method is that of occupying the mind, for example through plot or by showing a different way of life that the reader

“…mistakes for artistic impression.”

These methods do not transmit feeling, and, therefore, lack universal moral values, by not showing us how people should live. They can be reproduced easily through learning techniques, contrary to sincere art, which furthers the cause of brotherhood through moral improvement. For a man to produce a morally-improving artwork, “… he should stand on the level of the highest life-conception of his time.”

The Hypocrites of Art and the Counterfeit

Tolstoy’s conviction that much of art is bad, elitist and difficult to understand, leads him to dismiss formal art training and professional critics.

If a real artist has transmitted his feelings: “What is there then to explain?” asks Tolstoy. “Every false work extolled by the critics serves as a door through which the hypocrites of art at once crowd in.”

The lack of genuine religious perception and, therefore, a morality available to all, cannot occur in these counterfeit works of art. Only sincerity can convey the moral message in a society that is undivided. Beethoven, on becoming deaf, was unable to perfect his work.

“But criticism, having acknowledged him to be a great composer, seizes on just these abnormal works with special gusto.”

Tolstoy says that this has the effect of “perverting the meaning of musical art.” Beethoven’s work is counterfeit, says Tolstoy, unlike the real art of the song of a peasant woman. This comparison shows “…infection with another’s feeling, compelling us to rejoice in another’s gladness, to sorrow at another’s grief.”

Christianity

Good art, for Tolstroy, is Christian art: “…religion is a superstition humanity has outgrown.” People “…intentionally or unintentionally confuse the notion of a religious cult with the notion of religious perception.” His point is that religion serves as a guide to the progress of humanity:

“Its… widest and most practical application is to the consciousness that our well-being lies in the growth of brotherhood – in their loving harmony with one another.”

Even the Pickwick Papers fail Tolstoy’s criteria for moral improvement: “These feelings are not common to all men.” Tolstoy says that Dickens compensates with an abundance of detail that makes the stories difficult to comprehend.

The Dismissal of Interpretation

In conclusion, Tolstoy states that art is the communication of sincere, clear and individual emotion, and that good art must involve either: (a) Christian emotion, or (b) universal emotions of a unifying, non-divisive kind. This is where the moral emphasis enters the argument.

However, Tolstoy’s dismissal of interpretation is problematic. Apart from the fact he himself criticises and interprets, interpretation helps to truly involve the receiver of the work of art. If, for example, formal unity, design and originality of style are excluded from aesthetic evaluation, this narrows the theory of the evaluation of art. Tolstoy’s theory could not easily be applied to an abstract sculpture, for how would this improve us morally?

Subtlety and depth are not valued in Tolstoy’s theory. In addition, Tolstoy’s narrow framework of Christian art contains an anomaly. Bible stories can be understood on more than one level. Besides their simple stories, they contain non-literal, allegorical truths recognised by sophisticated adults, as well as passages of poetic brilliance.

Sources:
“Art,Society and Morality,” Tom Sorrell, Philosophical Aesthetics, Ed: Oswald Hanfling, Blackwell, The Open University, 1992.
“What is Art?” Leo Tolstoy, Theories of Art and Beauty, Ed: Robert Wilksinson, The Open University (Set Book) 1991.
“The Problem of Definition,” Osward Hanfling, Philosophical Aesthetics, Ed: Oswald Hanfling, Blackwell, The Open University, 1992.