Throughout his major works, Leo Tolstoy argues that the central problem of the modern world is its delusional character. We have become delusional about the utility of science, the effects of music, the nature of love and the divine, and the inescapable reality of death. A Prophet of Modern Delusions: Tolstoy's Critique of Modernity explores Tolstoy's arguments regarding these delusions. In so doing, it illustrates the continuing relevance of Tolstoy's writings to those who desire to understand the complexities of modernity and who wish to be roused from deeply entrenched ways of thinking that may be delusional.
John P. "Jack" Moran is Professor of Political Science at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
"A Prophet of Modern Delusions is one of those rare books that is academically informed yet publicly accessible. By showing how Tolstoy ably diagnosed the modern delusions of human psychology, John P. Moran provides a new reason to read War and Peace and Anna Karenina. From the utopian promises of scientific certainty and rationalism to our unwillingness to confront death, love, and the divine, Tolstoy was prophetic in predicting the delusions that humans would have for themselves and society. Life for Tolstoy was neither abstraction nor denial but the willing embracement of life's diversity with all its joys, sorrows, and hopes." --Lee Trepanier, Samford University "A Prophet of Modern Delusions: Tolstoy's Critique of Modernity masterfully showcases why Tolstoy stands as one of the greatest novelists of all time. With his keen insight into human nature and politics, Tolstoy pierces through the veil of modernity, and Moran, as our guide, expertly explores Tolstoy's psychological examination of modern delusions, from our inability to confront love, death, and the divine to our unwillingness to confront the complexities of these profound issues. Moran has written a book that will no doubt inspire many to reflect more deeply on Tolstoy. Highly recommended." --Khalil Habib, Hillsdale College "John Moran looks at War and Peace and Anna Karenina with the same concerns as Tolstoy himself. The diminishment of man and the nihilism of life under the influence of science, commerce and urban cosmopolitanism are his themes. Moran traces the struggles of Tolstoy's heroes and heroines from the confines of the modern world towards a life of feeling, thought and belief supported by a romantic idea of nature, family, and God." --Mark Kremer, Associate Professor of Politics, Hillsdale College
