 Tolstoy eating a vegetarian breakfast | |
| Author | Leo Tolstoy |
|---|---|
| Original title | Первая ступень |
| Language | Russian |
| Subject | Vegetarianism,animal rights |
| Genre | Essay |
| Published | 1891 |
| Publication place | Russian Empire |
| Media type | |
"The First Step" (Russian:Первая ступень) also known as"The Morals of Diet",[1] is an 1891 essay by Russian authorLeo Tolstoy that advocates forvegetarianism. Originally written as a preface to the Russian translation ofHoward Williams' 1883 bookThe Ethics of Diet, the essay also touches on themes ofanarchism andpacifism. In the piece, Tolstoy argues that adopting a vegetarian diet is a necessary first step toward moral development, drawing on religious, ethical, and psychological reasoning to support his claims.[2][3]
According to South African novelistImraan Coovadia, writing in 2020, the essay opens with a vivid depiction of a pig being slaughtered by a butcher, a scene Coovadia describes as characteristic of Tolstoy's style of "plainness and force."[4] Although centered on therights of animals, the essay also adopts a distinctly religious tone, urging readers to practice self-abnegation, fasting, and renunciation of worldly pleasures.[5]
Ronald D. LeBlanc of theUniversity of New Hampshire notes that the essay is structured in two unequal parts: the first focused on religious and ascetic justifications for vegetarianism, and the second on humanitarian and ethical arguments.[6] Tolstoy also asserts that vegetarianism strengthens one's ability to control sexual impulses, a claim that has been criticized by modern psychologists as "pseudo-erotic."[7]
The essay concludes with a psychological argument, asserting that the act of killing and consuming animals numbs human sensitivity to compassion, pity, and empathy for others.[8]
"The First Step" was considered instrumental in encouragingMohandas Gandhi to maintain his vegetarian diet.[9] According to Charlotte Alston, a lecturer atNorthumbria University, Tolstoy had planned to establish a vegetarian journal in 1893 with the same title,The First Step.[10]
The essay was first translated into English in 1900 by Tolstoy's regular translators,Aylmer and Louise Maude,[11] and again in 1905 byLeo Wiener.[12]
