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Are the Peasant Children to Learn to Write from Us? |
| Description: |
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In this sharp and reflective essay, Tolstoy poses a rhetorical and critical question: Should we, the educated elite, be the ones teaching peasant children to write? He challenges the assumption of cultural superiority held by the upper classes and questions whether the values and methods of elite society are appropriate—or even harmful—for the rural poor. |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1862 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 4 |
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| Extent: |
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27 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy |
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The Christian Teaching |
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The Christian Teaching presents Tolstoy’s mature understanding of Christ’s message as a moral guide for life, stripped of church dogma and superstition. He interprets Christianity as a practical code of love, nonviolence, humility, and truth, centered on living according to the Sermon on the Mount. Rejecting miracles, rituals, and institutional authority, Tolstoy focuses on the inner transformation of the individual through conscience and compassion. |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1897 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 22 |
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| Extent: |
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81 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Religion, Pedagogy |
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Education and Culture |
| Description: |
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In Education and Culture, Tolstoy challenges conventional views that equate formal education with true cultural development. He argues that genuine culture arises organically from the life and values of the people, not from imposed systems or academic instruction. |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1862 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 4 |
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| Extent: |
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30 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy |
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Introduction to T. M. Bondarev’s Teaching |
| Description: |
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In Introduction to T. M. Bondarev’s Teaching, Tolstoy presents and praises the ideas of Timofei Bondarev, a self-taught peasant philosopher who wrote about the moral and social necessity of physical labor. Tolstoy highlights Bondarev’s central belief that all able-bodied people must work with their hands and that exploitation occurs when some live off the labor of others. |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1888 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 17 |
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| Extent: |
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11 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy |
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On Methods of Teaching the Rudiments |
| Description: |
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On Methods of Teaching the Rudiments is one of Tolstoy’s key educational essays, in which he reflects on how best to teach basic literacy—reading and writing—to children, especially in rural schools. Based on his hands-on experience at his peasant school in Yasnaya Polyana, Tolstoy advocates for a natural, flexible, and student-led approach rather than rigid, rote memorization. |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1862 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 4 |
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| Extent: |
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14 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy |
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On Popular Education |
| Description: |
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On Popular Education is an essay in which Tolstoy outlines his progressive and then-radical views on education for the Russian peasantry. Drawing on his own experience founding and teaching at a school for peasant children at his Yasnaya Polyana estate, Tolstoy argues that true education must be voluntary, free from coercion, and tailored to the interests and needs of the people.
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1862 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 4 |
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| Extent: |
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19 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy |
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On Popular Education |
| Description: |
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On Popular Education is a foundational essay in which Leo Tolstoy challenges the structure and purpose of state-run education. Drawing from his experience teaching peasant children, he argues that true education must be voluntary, free, and adapted to the lives of the people it serves. He opposes rigid curriculums and top-down authority in favor of freedom, creativity, and mutual respect between teacher and student. |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1875 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 12 |
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| Extent: |
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44 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy |
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Progress and the Definition of Education |
| Description: |
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In Progress and the Definition of Education, Tolstoy critically examines what is meant by "progress" in society and how education is often wrongly used to enforce narrow or elitist notions of advancement. He argues that education should not be defined by the standards of the upper classes or by blind faith in technological or institutional development. |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1862 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 4 |
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| Extent: |
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24 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy |
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A Project of a General Plan for the Establishment of Popular Schools |
| Description: |
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In this essay, Tolstoy presents a practical and philosophical proposal for creating a system of popular (public) schools for Russia’s rural population. Based on his work at his experimental school in Yasnaya Polyana, Tolstoy outlines a non-coercive, decentralized, and flexible model of education that prioritizes the freedom and individuality of both teachers and students. |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1862 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 4 |
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| Extent: |
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28 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy |
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The School at Yásnaya Polyána |
| Description: |
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The School at Yásnaya Polyána is an essay in which Tolstoy describes the founding, philosophy, and daily operations of the free school he established for peasant children on his estate at Yasnaya Polyana.
Rejecting traditional, authoritarian education methods, Tolstoy promoted a non-coercive, student-centered approach, where children learned voluntarily and creatively. The school allowed for freedom of choice, open discussion, moral development, and a curriculum responsive to the children’s interests. |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1862 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 4 |
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| Extent: |
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104 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy |
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Thoughts on Education and Instruction |
| Description: |
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PDF
EPUB |
| Date: |
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1887-1901 |
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| Reference: |
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The complete works of Count Tolstoy. Vol. 23 |
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| Extent: |
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16 p. |
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| Tags: |
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Non-fiction, Pedagogy, Autobiographical |
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