Explain the background and source of this crisis, showing how he uses a story to highlight his sense of loss, and the emptiness of traditional solutions.

the question is : please not plagiarism , add some atricle and cite from the reading
1)In “My Confession”, Leo Tolstoy admits going through a mid-life crisis at age 50. Explain the background and source of this crisis, showing how he uses a story to highlight his sense of loss, and the emptiness of traditional solutions. How does Tolstoy resolve his existential crisis of loss of meaning and overcome his earlier problems? What sort of questions might an atheist raise to challenge Tolstoy’s claim that “without faith, one cannot live.” (p14, “The Meaning of Life: A Reader, ed. Klemke and Cahn). Do you agree with Tolstoy’s theistic claim that only faith in God can enable humans to escape from the specter of meaninglessness? Why or why not?

Instructions: is

Tips in Writing Good Philosophy Papers
The following suggestions should be kept in mind as you write your paper; they are all items I consider in grading.
NOTE: Rule #1: every paper suggests its own pattern and every author has her/his own style and any rule may be disregarded
when the situation so demands (i.e. a person may choose to write the paper as a dialogue). Generally, however, the following
suggestions are a handy guide and safe bet.
You should plan out your paper before you write it. Do this long before the deadline of the paper. Do not rely on your ability to
churn out a great paper the night before it is due. Read around the topic you are considering; develop the main claim that you will
want to make; discuss it with others to see if it makes sense to them. Then sit down and work out a structure for the paper.
This involves clearly distinguished points in support of your position. They should be in separate paragraphs. You should not try
to squeeze more than one distinct point into a paragraph. That is, it should have no more than one basic claim. This claim should
be supported by the rest of the paragraphs, and you should try to eliminate any sentences that do not relate to this claim. When
you have them written, then lay out your introduction and conclusion.
The introduction really should suggest what you are going to do in the paper. The conclusion should claim no more than you
succeeded in establishing in the body of the paper.
When making a claim, you must argue for it unless it is a matter of common knowledge. Would it only be accepted by people who
already agree with you? If so, then you need offer some further support for your position.
Many of these points are captured in Orwell‟s five rules for writers (as quoted by Richard Nordquist). They are suitable for
adoption for novelists, students, and technical writers alike:
1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
Orwell offers an important sixth rule to the effect that any and all of these should be broken rather than writing something
barbarous.
The following are useful tips that may strengthen your writing style also.
1. Try to avoid overusing the word „feel‟. More often than not, it is inappropriately used and it weakens rather than strengthens
your position. Your paper is concerned with your thoughts, reflections, arguments, claims, conclusions etc. Your feelings
should rarely impact your position in a written paper.
2. Never say marmalade when you can say jam instead. That is, complex ideas should be expressed in the most simple language
possible. If someone reading your paper could not understand what you are claiming, then it is likely that you should
rephrase your contentions.
3. Make sure your spelling and punctuation are correct. Do not rely on the squiggly red or green lines on your screen to ensure
that your writing is flawless.
4. Make sure your grammar and word usage are correct. Take special care to avoid sentence fragments and run on sentences.
Also avoid using words with which you are unfamiliar. While you should not use a term repetitively, it is not a good idea to
reach for the thesaurus with faith that it will make your paper better.
5. Use the active voice whenever possible in your paper. It will move the action forward. Use “George Orwell uses five rules for
writers” instead of “five rules for writers are used by Orwell.” The latter is the passive voice, which should be avoided.
6. When you are writing about a text, you should use quotations to support your points. Quite often, a good paper begins by
trawling the text for sections and quotations that buttress your case. If they are not there, then it is likely that your overall
thesis will not stand. At the same time, your paper should not be a series of quotations. This is your paper. The ideas of
others should be used solely to support your positions. Do not include quotations unless they are relevant to the point you
are making in a paragraph. Do not dump a quotation into your paper without providing a context in which it makes sense.
Most often, this will involve having to comment directly on why you are citing this quotation.
7. Be sure your paper answers all the questions asked.
8. Don‟t merely agree with an author. Show your understanding of the author by accurately presenting his or views on the topic
at hand in your own words. Don‟t assume that what the author says is self-evident, without need of exposition. Show an
interest in getting to the bottom of what a text claims.
9. On the other hand, don‟t simply disagree with the author‟s conclusion; identify faults in his/her argument.
10. Don‟t make the author out to be an idiot–give him/her the strongest position he/she might reasonably be interpreted as
having. Stand in for the author in debate; imagine, based on passages in the text how he/she might respond to your
comments.
11. Press one significant argument (or a few closely related arguments) carefully and persistently rather than devoting just one
paragraph to each of several unrelated issues. When arguing for a position, you cannot settle for proving that your
conclusion is possible (for instance, that O.J. could have done it), but that your conclusion is probable (he could have done it,
he had reason for doing it, and nobody else could have done it!)
12. When there is a diversity of opinion on a topic, do not assume that this variety of views proves that there is no truth that can
be established. For instance, some people believe that there is no link between the HIV virus and AIDS. This difference of
opinion from the established medical community does not put in question the social policies and medical treatment across the
globe.
13. Provide adequate references. All references to works and ideas that are not your own must be cited properly.
14. Discuss and read your topic with others. Discussion with others helps to clarify in your mind exactly what the author is
saying and the relevant issues involved.
15. Re-read your paper slowly and carefully. Does it say what you want it to say? Put it away for a day, and then come back to
read it. Does it still say what you want it to?
15. Three essential elements to all writing assignments:
a) Comprehension. If you understand the topic and the assigned readings, then you have the basis for reflection
and for writing a paper that makes sense.
b) Argumentation. You must be able to argue for your position. This is more than simply stating your position in
strong language or giving striking examples.
c) Presentation. Present your arguments clearly.

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