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    Pensees (Thoughts)
    Pensees (Thoughts)
    Pensees (Thoughts)
    Ebook346 pages5 hours

    Pensees (Thoughts)

    By Blaise Pascal

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    Blaise Pascal was a 17th century French scientist, author, and Christian philosopher who is best known for his work, “Pensées” or “Thoughts.” First published posthumously in 1670, “Thoughts” is an edited compilation of the notes that Pascal had prepared for a planned work that scholars refer to as an “Apology for the Christian Religion.” Given its incompleteness when Pascal died, the order and composition of the work has been debated and as a result has produced many variant publications. In spite of their incompleteness and frequent incoherence, “Thoughts” has long held a high place among the great classics of the Christian religion. Much of the theological argument implied in these utterances has little appeal to the modern mind, but the acuteness of the observation of human life, the subtlety of the reasoning, the combination of precision and fervid imagination in the expression, make this a book to which the discerning mind can return again and again for insight and inspiration. This edition follows the translation of W. F. Trotter.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDigireads.com Publishing
    Release dateSep 21, 2020
    ISBN9781420977349
    Pensees (Thoughts)
    Author

    Blaise Pascal

    Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) was one of history’s most famous mathematicians. A prodigy who was said to have discovered the basic precepts of geometry while doodling in his playroom, Pascal published his first work at the age of sixteen. In 1646, he converted to the Catholic sect of Jansenism. He is best remembered for his Pensées (1669), a defense of Christianity.

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    Reviews for Pensees (Thoughts)

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      An interesting take on a defense of Christianity by a renowned mathematician. Caution: This is not really a book, but a compilation of material that Pascal had intended to put into a book. He died before completing any part, so it appears disjointed, but his thoughts are lucid.
    • 3/5
      Alternating between brilliant melancholy and theology and other nonsense.
    • 5/5
      As far as I'm concerned, Pascal's "shorts" are far more clever, succinct, surprising, and woven together than those of Rouchefoucauld and others. There are many threaded thoughts woven amongst more than 900 maxims and mini-essays each of which stand on their own. The profundity and diversity of topics makes the Pensees something to read slowly and ponder -- it takes much more time than reading the same amount of text in typical prose. Here Pascal masterfully forces us to contemplate just about every philosophical aspect of nature, religion, culture, and government, and the human condition in general. Starting with a discussion of the mathematical versus the intuitive mind (there are advantages in both but true genius lies in the mathematically trained also being able to see the big picture and beyond the concrete), he then portrays theology in nature, argues against atheism, supports Catholic doctrine, and finds the source of all unhappiness.
    • 5/5
      An immortal book. Electrifying. Started re-reading 11/25/07 and following.
    • 5/5
      A deep thinker and contemplative reading is a must for this book. Pascal delves into some deep spiritual truths. It is also easy to see the personality of Pascal in the writing
    • 4/5
      Unusual for a philosophical text, as it represents the private thoughts of the author organized via a method of his own design (he wrote them on strips of paper). Agonized thoughts on spirituality ("the endless silence of these infinite spaces fills me with dread") along with a justification of theology (commonly known as The Wager) which doesn't quite work. It's nice to read thoughts intimately and without the pretenses of a "published" text.

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    Pensees (Thoughts) - Blaise Pascal

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