Leo Tolstoy

“ According to this religious teaching nothing in the world is dead, there is life in everything; all those things which we consider dead, inorganic, are but parts of a huge organic body which we cannot embrace, and that, as a part of a huge organism, man’s aim should be to conserve the life of that organism and the lives of all its parts. ”

“ He therefore considered it a crime to destroy life; was against war, executions, the killing in any manner not only of human beings, but of animals. He also had his theory of marriage, according to which the breeding of people was man’s lower function, his higher function consisting in conserving life already existing. ”

“ Having come to the conclusion that all evil can be traced to the people’s ignorance, he joined the Democrats, on leaving the university, and obtaining the position of village teacher, he boldly preached before his pupils and the peasants that which he considered to be just, and denounced that which he considered unjust and false. ”