Life’s essence may reduce to the will to exist.

Evidence

Consequently, what remains to us after the annihilation of will, except will again, is assuredly nothing; — Leo Tolstoy, A Confession, 79

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Leo Tolstoy, A Confession, 79
• XREF: connects to: Faith has importance in providing meaning to life. — Leo Tolstoy, A Confession, 184; Faith offers existential meaning that transcends suffering and death. — Leo Tolstoy, A Confession, 130; Schopenhauer derived body-as-will doctrine from Kant’s moral law view. — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 2737 (+6 more)