The pensees is a collection of philosophical fragments, notes and essays in which pascal explores the contradictions of human nature in psychological, social, metaphysical and, above all, theological terms. Pensees blaise pascal translated with a revised introduction by a. The project gutenberg ebook of pascals pensees, by blaise. The word conversion, however, is too forcible to be applied at this point to blaise pascal himself. Edition etablie, annotee et precedee dune introduction par leon brunschvigg. The pensees literally thoughts is a collection of fragments on theology and philosophy written by 17thcentury philosopher and mathematician blaise pascal. Live every day as if god exists, and you cant lose. As merely a collection of thoughts jotted down in a notebook from the mind of one of the most brilliant. Will durant, in his 11volume, comprehensive the story of civilization series, hailed it as the most eloquent book in french prose.
Blaise pascal, a duallanguage book duallanguage books blaise pascal. Pensees which means thoughts is more a series of notes than an actual book. Blaise pascal 162362 left his mark on mathematics, physics, religious controversy and literature. Unfinished at the time of pascals death, the book consists of philosophical fragments on the wretchedness of man and the controversial schisms of the church at the time. Pensees by blaise pascal the 11th greatest nonfiction book. And while there are several strains of pascals thought that i considerably dissent from, it can hardly be denied that in many ways, pascals insights into human character as it relates. Apr 27, 2006 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The difference between the mathematical and the intuitive mind. Blaise pascal has 348 books on goodreads with 37251 ratings. Pensees blaise pascal and men of intuition who are only intuitive cannot have the patience to reach to first principles of things speculative and conceptual, which they have never seen in the world and which are.
Intended to be a defense of the christian religion, pensees is a penetrating collection of thoughts on faith, reason, and theology. The pensees was intended as a defense of christianity, but pascal died before the book. Pascal s general intention was to confound scepticism about metaphysical questions. Blaise pascal, pensees let each of us examine his thoughts. Compiled after his death in 1662, pascals pensees thoughts are his ideas for a book in defense of faith in a rational world. It was written by blaise pascal, a frenchman, in the 1600s, and was published a short time after his death in 1662. Will durant, in his 11volume, comprehensive the story of civilization series, hailed it as the most eloquent book. French mathematician blaise pascal did much to set in motion what is known today as modern mathematics. Buy pascal s pensees by blaise pascal online at alibris.
Feb 06, 2008 buy pensees etonnants classiques 224 by pascal, blaise isbn. The thoughts and ideas for his book were collected and complied, posthumously, and then published as the pensees. Pascals religious conversion led him into a life of asceticism, and the pensees was in many ways his lifes work. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Buy pascals pensees by blaise pascal online at alibris. They all describe the brilliant universal genius, details of whose life and times are sketched in the chronology on page xv. The pense s is a collection of philosohical fragments, notes and essays in which pascal explores the contradictions of human nature in pscyhological, social, metaphysical and above all. Krailsheimer published by penguin 1982, penguin classics series, 1982 isbn 10. The pensees is a collection of philosohical fragments, notes and essays in which pascal explores the contradictions of human nature in pscyhological, social, blaise pascal, the precociously brilliant contemporary of descartes, was a gifted mathematician and physicist, but it is his unfinished apologia for the christian religion upon which his reputation now rests.
Roger ariew hackett, 2005 ps primary source a primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. Pensees by blaise pascal, 2005 online research library. Originally intending to publish a book defending christianity, pascal died before he could complete it. An unusually creative mathematician, he developed a number of theorems and mathematical structures, including the beginnings of probability theory and a more sophisticated understanding of the geometry of conic structures.
A convert to jansenism, he engaged in passionate debate with the jesuits the results of. In the one the principles are palpable, but removed from ordinary use. Essential reading for students of history, philosophy, and theology, the pensees remain among the liveliest and most eloquent defenses of christianity ever written. Blaise pascal pascals pensees is widely considered to be a masterpiece, and a landmark in french prose. The pensees was intended as a defense of christianity, but pascal died before the book could be fully edited and published. Pensees by blaise pascal, free pdf, ebook global grey. Written by blaise pascal, audiobook narrated by william sutherland. We almost never think of the present, and if we do think of it, it is only to see what light is throws on our plans for the future. Updated edition of the famous krailsheimer translation, the first to follow the order of notes as pascal left them. The family had always been devout, and the younger pascal, though absorbed in his scientific work, never seems to have been afflicted with infidelity. Good press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. Some of the pensees are fully developed literary reflections. Unfinished at the time of pascals death, the book consists of philosophical. Pensees ebook by blaise pascal 9781504033930 rakuten kobo.
Blaise pascals pensees is simply put, a book of wisdom. About the author 2003 french mathematician blaise pascal did much to set in motion what is known today as modern. Blaise pascal was not a gambler, but he posited one of the most famous wagers of all time. Published by mobilereference mobi this book is best read in small doses or it becomes too much. Pensees blaise pascal audiobook online download, free audio. This unfinished apology for christianity was meant to confound the followers of descartes by. Following desargues thinking, the 16yearold pascal produced, as a means of proof, a short treatise on what was called the mystic hexagram, essai pour les coniques essay on conics and sent ithis first serious work of mathematicsto pere mersenne in paris. The translation allows us a look inside one of the greatest thinkers of all time. He is regarded by many as the greatest of french prose stylists. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg.
This book is the 11th greatest nonfiction book of all time as determined by. These were to become known as the pensees, and they occupy a crucial place in western philosophy. Walker discusses the landmark book, pensees, by the renowned french philosopher, mathematician e. Pensees blaise pascal and men of intuition who are only intuitive cannot have the patience to reach to first principles of things speculative and conceptual, which they have never seen in the world and. Jan 04, 2014 pensees audiobook blaise pascal 1623 1662, translated by w. Selected pensees and provincial letterspensees et provinciales choisies. Instead, he left a mass of fragments, some of them meant as notes for the apologie. A convert to jansenism, he engaged in passionate debate with the jesuits the results of which are the lettres provincales, on which, with pensees, his fame now rests. This page contains details about the nonfiction book pensees by blaise pascal published in 1670. Pascal was an ardent believer in the christian religion. Pascals religious conversion led him into a life of asceticism and this was in many ways his lifes work.
The pensees is simply the compelling thoughts of mathematician, physicist, and religious thinker blaise pascal. The pensees or thoughts is a collection of writings by blaise pascal, one of the great philosophers and mathematicians of the seventeenth century. Pascals pensees is widely considered to be a masterpiece, and a landmark in french prose. As merely a collection of thoughts jotted down in a notebook from the mind of one of the most brilliant of men to live, it qualifies as one of the most lucid collections of thoughts. The book seemed to me to be too fragmented and disjointed to make a sustained argument. As a student of philosophy i was eager to get this book, you do need to. Author bio french mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher blaise pascal 162362 laid the foundation for the modern theory of probabilities.
Several good biographies of blaise pascal have been published, starting with the one written by gilberte perier, his sister. List of books and articles about blaise pascal online. These fragments give evidence of a profoundly original thinker who had resolved the conflict between his sc. The pensees thoughts is a collection of fragments on theology and philosophy written by 17thcentury philosopher and mathematician blaise pascal. The book takes the form of many small comments and analysis, a notebook written in shorthand if you will. Introduction concordance between the present edition and that of p. Blaise pascal, the precociously brilliant contemporary of descartes, was a gifted mathematician and physicist, but it is his unfinished apologia for the christian religion upon which his reputation now rests. The pensees represented pascals defense of the christian religion. Particularly of interest to pascal was a work of desargues on conic sections. As a student of philosophy i was eager to get this book, you do need to concentrate while reading it, but its worth it, came very quickly and in perfect condition. Blaise pascal books list of books by author blaise pascal. This book, representing pascals pensees, or thoughts, contains many provocative views that have managed to arouse critics from many different perspectives. Blaise pascal, the precociously brilliant contemporary of descartes, was a gifted mathematician and physicist, but it is his unfinished apologia for the christian religion upon which his reputation now. These were to become known as the pensees, and they occupy a crucial place in western philosophy andreligious writing.
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