Pensées"Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it may be true," declared Pascal in his Penseés. "The cure for this," he explained, "is first to show that religion is not contrary to reason, but worthy of reverence and respect. Next make it attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is." Motivated by the 17th-century view of the supremacy of human reason, Pascal (1623–1662) intended to write an ambitious apologia for Christianity, in which he argued the inability of reason to address metaphysical problems. While Pascal's untimely death prevented his completion of the work, these fragments published posthumously in 1670 as Penseés remain a vital part of religious and philosophical literature. Introduction by T. S. Eliot. |
Contents
1 | |
14 | |
OF THE NECESSITY OF THE WAGER | 52 |
THE MEANS OF BELIEF | 71 |
JUSTICE AND THE REASON OF EFFECTS | 83 |
PHILOSOPHERS | 96 |
MORALITY AND DOCTRINE | 113 |
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION | 152 |
PERPETUITY | 163 |
TYPOLOGY | 181 |
THE PROPHECIES | 198 |
PROOFS OF JESUS CHRIST | 222 |
THE MIRACLES | 238 |
APPENDIX POLEMICAL FRAGMENTS | 257 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
according appear authority believe better blind body called cause Christians Church clear comes condition consider contrary corrupt custom death desire destroy doctrine doubt earth effect enemies equally error Essais established eternal everything evil exist fact faith false fear feel follow foretold give glory grace hand happen happy heart holy hope human ignorant imagination infinite Jesus Christ Jews judge justice kind king knowledge known least light live longer Lord lust matter meaning Messiah mind miracles Montaigne Moses nature necessary never object obscure opinions ourselves Pascal passions persons pleasure present principles proofs prophecies prophets prove reason receive religion rest rule Saint Scripture seek seen sense soul speak spirit teach thee things thou thought true truth understand weakness whole wish