Abraham Lincoln and Leo Tolstoy

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how the actions, decisions, and words great men and women are intimately related to the psychology of these individuals. The paper proposes that by analyzing the lives of these individuals--their writings, biographies, actions, and what other people had to say about them--it may be possible to reconstruct some of the basic psychological underpinnings that characterize the great figures of world history. The paper firstly examines the psychology of Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States during the Civil War, and then analyzes Leo Tolstoy, the Russian author. The writer proposes that while at first we might expect that the only thing these two could share in common was a common lifespan in the 19th century, it becomes evident that the psychological natures of these men shared many character traits.

From the Paper:

"Interestingly enough, Abraham Lincoln is not the only important historical figure that possessed this internal conflict of self-doubt and conflict between internal psychology and action. Though he lived half a world away and was born an aristocrat in Russian society, the psychological conflict and development of Leo Tolstoy bears some striking similarities to that of Abraham Lincoln. As mentioned, Tolstoy was born an aristocrat of the highest order in Russian society. The early death of his parents combined with his social status kept him largely isolated from other people during his development as an adolescent and young man."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Donald, D.H. (1995). Lincoln. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• Ewers, J. (2005, February 21). The real Lincoln. U.S. News & World Report, 138(6), 66-73.
• Howe, I. (1992, April 27). The old magician: a defense of the late, scolding Tolstoy. The New Republic, 206(17), 30-34.
• Mercury in anti-depressant medication could have caused Abraham Lincoln's bad tempered outbursts. History Today, 51(9), 8.
• Meyers, J. (1987, July 31). Leo Tolstoy: resident and stranger. National Review, 39, 49-50.

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