This collection investigates the fundamental question of how an individual can achieve moral integrity and spiritual authenticity within a society governed by institutionalized violence and hypocrisy. Leo Tolstoy, writing from the perspective of his later, radicalized period, utilizes his personal spiritual crisis and subsequent conversion to challenge the legitimacy of the state, the church, and the prevailing economic order. The work serves as a synthesis of his ethical framework, advocating for non-resistance to evil and the necessity of living in accordance with one's conscience rather than external authority.

This collection provides a comprehensive overview of Tolstoy's late-life intellectual evolution, offering a dense look at his shift from literary fiction to moral philosophy. The text serves as a primary resource for scholars and readers interested in the development of his pacifist and anti-authoritarian thought.