Pensees

Pensees is a collection of philosophical and theological thoughts and reflections by the French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. The book was published posthumously in 1670 and is considered one of the most influential works of French literature. Pascal wrote the Pensees as a defense of the Christian faith, arguing that reason alone cannot lead to a complete understanding of God and that faith is necessary to fully comprehend the divine. The book is divided into several sections, each exploring different aspects of Pascal's philosophy, including the nature of God, the human condition, and the limits of reason. Throughout the book, Pascal employs a variety of literary techniques, including aphorisms, anecdotes, and paradoxes, to convey his ideas. He also draws on his own personal experiences and struggles with faith, making the Pensees a deeply personal and introspective work. Despite its unfinished state (Pascal died before completing the book), the Pensees has had a profound impact on both philosophy and literature. It has been praised for its insights into the human condition, its exploration of the relationship between faith and reason, and its elegant prose style.61. Order.--I might well have taken this discourse in an order like this: to show the vanity of all conditions of men, to show the vanity of ordinary lives, and then the vanity of philosophic lives, sceptics, stoics; but the order would not have been kept. I know a little what it is, and how few people understand it. No human science can keep it. Saint Thomas did not keep it. Mathematics keep it, but they are useless on account of their depth.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.