Tolstoy's moral philosophy: towards an ethics of truthfulness in clinical practice

Abstract

In this article we would like to bring to light the importance of Tolstoy as a moral thinker, in view of the brilliance of his literary work has always eclipsed his more philosophical work. Tolstoy, bewildered by the desperation of death and lack of meaning, built a philosophy of love in which he associates one’s own happiness with the happiness of others. For the Russian moralist, people who live for themselves can never achieve happiness and will not live. In contrast, people who choose the path of love and the happiness of others will be happy and will truly live, because this is the reason for living, the meaning of life. The person who lives in love lives an authentic life, far away from falsehood. The ideas of Tolstoy have a practical application in clinical practice. Through an analysis of the novel The Death of Ivan Ilyich, where we can find condensed the whole of Tolstoy’s moral thought, we will discover the negative consequences that are generated by falsehood when taking care of the sick, and above all of those who are dying. And we will see how the Russian author, without having lived through the crisis of medical paternalism, and even less the appearance of the declaration of the rights of patients that emphasise above all the autonomy of the patient, promoted a model of respectful relationship with the wish of the patient to receive information and know the truth. Through the analysis of a fictional tale, this article aims to invite reflection on the virtue of truthfulness in the clinical relationship.