The edition includes texts by three major authors and thinkers: Leo Tolstoy, Emile Zola, and Alexandre Dumas fils. The Russian classic, considering that the reflection developed by the two Frenchmen is directly related to his teaching, presents in his article "Unforced Action" the speech delivered by Zola at a celebratory meeting of students, as well as Dumas' letter-reply.

The common theme of the three is the position and role that metaphysical concerns play in people's lives - they are either simply mystical beliefs that aim to alleviate the individual's anxiety and fear of death, as positivist Zola claims, or they are an inner and inherent need that becomes even more pressing when humanity is on the threshold of critical developments and cosmogonic changes.

Tolstoy, deeply influenced by the thought of Lao Tzu, fundamentally disagrees with Zola and embraces Dumas' views, while at the same time developing the concept of unforced action, a key concept for understanding his theory of nonviolent resistance.