Pascal
Blaise Pascal was a mathmetician, physicist, and philosopher. This paper deals with the latter. In his collection of writings, the Pensees, Pascal attempts to defend the Christian religion. There are varying opinions on Pascal’s work, with some, like Roger Scruton claiming that Pascal fails as a philosopher (specifically in the Wager) while others, like TS Eliot commend Pascal for “facing unflinchingly the demon of doubt” and attempting to deal with it (). In this instance, the issue is whether Pascal fails in giving practical reasons for authentic religious practice for those who are not currently seeking God (within the framework of the wager) or if he boldly faces the doubt that everyone experiences at one point or another and successfully …show more content…
This is important because for Pascal, one of the great aspects of the Christian faith is that it recognizes this and one of the reasons he considers the Christian faith to be the right one. “Man in the state of creation or of grace is on a level above all nature, as if godlike and participating in the divinity” and at the same time “corrupt and sinful, he has fallen from this state and been put on the level of the beasts” (cite).
It is important to Pascal that he help make it possible for people to become seekers of God and this is unfortunately sometimes not possible because, given their hopeless human condition, they often respond by distracting themselves or by simply choosing to be indifferent. Pascal is attempting to make these who are simply ignoring the reality that the fate of their immortal soul matters come to desire a better way of solving their wretchedness by seeking God.
Given the aforementioned weakness of reason, and Pascal’s realization that mankind is much more influenced by its passions/imagination, Pascal shows religion and God as attractive. This opens them up to be turned into seekers of God who, while still unhappy, are reasonable and can hopefully find God eventually. Pascal accomplishes this with his
Blaise Pascal was a mathmetician, physicist, and philosopher. This paper deals with the latter. In his collection of writings, the Pensees, Pascal attempts to defend the Christian religion. There are varying opinions on Pascal’s work, with some, like Roger Scruton claiming that Pascal fails as a philosopher (specifically in the Wager) while others, like TS Eliot commend Pascal for “facing unflinchingly the demon of doubt” and attempting to deal with it (). In this instance, the issue is whether Pascal fails in giving practical reasons for authentic religious practice for those who are not currently seeking God (within the framework of the wager) or if he boldly faces the doubt that everyone experiences at one point or another and successfully …show more content…
This is important because for Pascal, one of the great aspects of the Christian faith is that it recognizes this and one of the reasons he considers the Christian faith to be the right one. “Man in the state of creation or of grace is on a level above all nature, as if godlike and participating in the divinity” and at the same time “corrupt and sinful, he has fallen from this state and been put on the level of the beasts” (cite).
It is important to Pascal that he help make it possible for people to become seekers of God and this is unfortunately sometimes not possible because, given their hopeless human condition, they often respond by distracting themselves or by simply choosing to be indifferent. Pascal is attempting to make these who are simply ignoring the reality that the fate of their immortal soul matters come to desire a better way of solving their wretchedness by seeking God.
Given the aforementioned weakness of reason, and Pascal’s realization that mankind is much more influenced by its passions/imagination, Pascal shows religion and God as attractive. This opens them up to be turned into seekers of God who, while still unhappy, are reasonable and can hopefully find God eventually. Pascal accomplishes this with his