Book Review: Pensees by Blaise Pascal

Pensees by Blaise Pascal

In addition to being a mathematical wiz, Blaise Pascal also wrote on theology and philosophy. He left a lot of unfinished fragments that he was in the process of organizing into categories or topics. Not every piece found a spot, so this loose collection of writings is available in many editions with many different orderings of the material. Some items are just a sentence or two; others are a page or two.

Despite the unfinished nature of this set of writings, several themes and ideas reoccur. He is well aware of the tension in people between their higher, nobler aspirations and their baser, viler desires. He writes eloquently about needing a balance between the two since we are all in a state of more or less equilibrium between those extremes. As a Christian, he acknowledges our dependence on God to achieve redemption and happiness. Having a genuine faith is challenging because of the pitfalls of our natural inclinations. Pascal engages in some contemporary disputes between the Jesuits and the Jansenists. The text describing his famous wager about the existence of God is also in this book. 

As with any book of aphorisms and short arguments, some are more compelling and interesting than others. I found the haphazard nature a bit off-putting and would have liked something more concrete. The texts do give a lot to think about many times. I wish I had done some highlighting or marking off of passages since I did find many parts harder or less interesting to go through.

Mildly recommended.

Sample quotes:

#121 It is dangerous to explain too clearly to man how like he is to the animals without pointing out his greatness. It is also dangerous to make too much of his greatness without his vileness. It is still more dangerous to leave him in ignorance of both, but it is most valuable to represent both to him.

Man must not be allowed to believe that he is equal either to animals or to angels, nor to be unaware of either, but he must know both. [p.60]

#562: There are only two types of men: the righteous who think they are sinners and the sinners who think they are righteous. [p.222]

#671 If you want people to think well of you, do not speak well of yourself. [p.242]

#949 It is false piety to preserve peace at the expense of truth. It is also false zeal to preserve truth at the expense of charity. [p.325]