Two weeks ago I mentioned Blaise Pascal in
my blog, but actually I don’t know much about this person, although he was one
of the great scientists and scholars of modern times. Maybe this is a good reason
to write a blog about him.
In fact, I am not really unknown with
Pascal’s writings for several years ago I read his famous Pensées (“Thoughts”), one of those classical works that is still
widely read, like Montaigne’s Essays,
for instance. Actually this is Pascal’s most interesting work for philosophers.
But before writing a few words about this book, let me tell first a little bit
about the person. Pascal (1623-1662) was brought up by his father, after the early
death of his mother. Soon his father saw his talents and he succeeded to
introduce his son in the circles of famous French scientists. Pascal
corresponded also with well-known scientists, mathematicians and scholars like
Pierre de Fermat, Christiaan Huygens and Gottfried Leibniz. This made that he,
too, could become one of the most famous mathematicians and physicists of his
time. His contributions to the development of science and mathematics are
significant. His probability theory had a big influence on the development of
economics and the social sciences. He developed also one of the first mechanic calculators
and he thought up also a regular coach service in Paris as a kind of public
transport. During his life he became increasingly interested in theological and
philosophical questions and this made him write his Provincial Letters and his Pensées.
The first book was a contribution to the discussions between the Jesuits and
the Jansenists then, but it was also valued as a literary work as such. The Pensées is an uncompleted collection of
fragments. It is mainly theological but large parts of it are purely
philosophical.
In a sense the Pensées can be compared with Montaigne’s Essays. Like the Essays,
also the Pensées consists of
reflections on philosophical, cultural and, of course, theological themes that
showed Pascal’s vision on contemporary issues. However, unlike Montaigne,
Pascal explicitly doesn’t write about himself. Even more, he writes about
Montaigne’s Essays: “His foolish
project of describing himself!” (Pensées,
II, 62) Nevertheless Pascal has been influenced much by Montaigne, although his
own project was not self-descriptive. (see my blog dated 23 December 2013) But
were these Pensées really not about
Pascal himself, at least for a part? “Tell me his thoughts and I’ll say who he
is” is often not too strong a statement, I think. Anyway, Pascal expressed in
his Pensées clearly personal ideas.
Another difference between the Essays and the Pensées is that the former work consists of separate chapters, each
treating a certain theme. The later work is a continuous treatise divided into
“Articles”. The articles are divided into numbered sections. Since I am not a theologian
and moreover since I don’t want to write about theological questions in my blogs,
my notices here on the Pensées are
limited and one-sided. But even with a philosophical interest “only” the work
is still worth reading. Like Montaigne, Pascal writes a lot about things that
are important in daily life, like our prejudices, habits and customs, our
imagination, justice, politics, morals, and so on. Too many subjects to mention
them here all. Therefore, I’ll finish this blog with quoting some passages.
Maybe they’ll provoke you to read the work.
– Those who are
accustomed to judge by feeling do not understand the process of reasoning, for
they would understand at first sight, and are not used to seek for principles.
And others, on the contrary, who are accustomed to reason from principles, do
not at all understand matters of feeling, seeking principles, and being unable
to see at a glance. (I, 3)
– How comes it that a cripple does not
offend us, but that a crippled mind does? Because
a cripple recognises that we walk straight, whereas a crippled mind declares
that it is we who are limp-brained; if it were not so, we should feel pity and
not anger. (II, 80)
– Things which have most hold on us, as the
concealment of our few possessions, are often a mere nothing. It is a nothing
which our imagination magnifies into a mountain. Another turn of the
imagination would make us discover this without difficulty. (II, 85)
– ... if they are greater than we, it is
because their heads are higher; but their feet are as low as ours. They are all
on the same level, and rest on the same earth ... (II, 103)
– As men are not able to fight against
death, misery, ignorance, they have taken it into their heads, in order to be
happy, not to think of them at all. (II, 168)
– Contradiction is a bad sign of truth;
several things which are certain are contradicted; several things which are
false pass without contradiction. Contradiction is not a sign of falsity, nor
the want of contradiction a sign of truth. (VI, 384)
But maybe you consider my thoughts in this
blog crippled (see the second quote above). If so, then I have an excuse, for,
as Pascal also writes “The mind of this sovereign judge of the world is not so
independent that it is not liable to be disturbed by the first din about it.
The noise of a cannon is not necessary to hinder its thoughts; it needs only the
creaking of a weathercock or a pulley. Do not wonder if at present it does not
reason well; a fly is buzzing in its ears; that is enough to render it
incapable of good judgment.” (VI, 366). The latter is what was happening when I
wrote this blog.
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