Certainty and the Will

Certainty and the Will

"To us, their descendants, who are not historians and are not carried away by the process of research and can therefore regard the event with unclouded common sense, an incalculable number of causes present themselves. The deeper we delve in search of these causes the more of them we find; and each separate cause or whole series of causes appears to us equally valid; and each separate cause or whole series of causes appears to us equally valid in itself and equally false by its insignificance compared to the magnitude of the events, and by its impotence--apart from the cooperation of all the other coincident causes--to occasion the event" (Book 9, Ch1, pg. 536)

"Napoleon met Balashev cheerfully and amiably. He not only showed no sign of constraint or self-reproach on account of his outburst that morning, but, on the contrary, tried to reassure Balashev. It was evident that he had long been convinced that it was impossible for him to make a mistake, and that in his perception whatever he did was right, not because it harmonized with any idea of right and wrong, but because he did it" (Book 9, Ch 7, pg. 555).

Throughout War and Peace, Tolstoy has emphasized the moral uncertainty of one's actions. In fact, most of the primary characters are in constant flux regarding how to carry out actions and regarding one's own purpose. Pierre attempted to find certainty in Freemasonry. Through the confines of the brotherhood, he hoped to cleanse himself and purify his actions for nobler pursuits, namely by aiding mankind. Rostov and Prince Andrew searched for certainty in the military. Rostov, in our last reading, explicitly states that he loves returning to the regiment because all actions and goals are far simpler in the military. And Mary, she finds certainty in religion.

In our reading for today, Tolstoy expounds on his view of history as well as Napoleon's motivations. The history he sets before us not only emphasizes determinism, but also the uncertainty of understanding human actions in the great scheme of things at the human level. Napoleon, perhaps, is the most successful character in the book that is completely certain of his actions, yet he is not certain because it is the morally right thing to do, but rather because he wills it to be correct. What are we to make of the strength of one's will determining morality? How does this fit into Tolstoy's view regarding the certainty of men's actions?