Tolstoy's Interpretation of Money and Property

What it is

This short pamphlet by Milivoy S. Stanoyevich, of the University of California, examines Leo Tolstoy's views on money and property. It was reprinted from the magazine Liberty in December 1916 and published by the Liberty Publishing Co. in Oakland, California.

Why it matters

The study shows how Tolstoy's moral and social ideas, including his belief that private property is unjust and enacted law amounts to violence, were being discussed by scholars in the United States not long after his death. It reflects his reputation as a social reformer as well as a novelist.

Look closer

• Why might an American scholar be interested in a Russian novelist's ideas about money?
• What does the pamphlet say Tolstoy believed about law and private property?
• How might someone who disagreed with Tolstoy's economic views respond to this pamphlet?