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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Biography ... Read more

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For much of his life, Pascal (1623-62) worked on amagnum opus which was never published in the form thephilosopher intended.Instead, Pascal left a mass offragments, some of them meant as notes for the Apologie. These became known as the Pensées, and they occupy acrucial place in Western philosophy and religiouswriting.This translation is the only one based on thePensées as Pascal left them.It includes the principaldossiers classified by Pascal, as well as the essentialportion of his important Writings on Grace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

When philosophy goes bad
Pascal wrote this book to defend the Christian religion. I learned about it first in Catholic high school, and wasn't at all impressed. I would rank Pascal's argument at the bottom of all Christian arguments. He tries to tell us with his 'Wager' that it is a better bet to believe in God because you get an infinite gain, and if you don't believe him and are right that he doesn't exist you only get a finite gain. This is similar to a mathematical argument. However, this argument can also be used for the Muslim religion, or any other religion, even made up ones [Flying Spaghetti Monster], since we cannot prove with 100% accuracy that any god doesn't exist. There is no reasoning in this argument, only logic. Pascal wants you to believe in something that has no evidence in support of it simply because if you are right you won't be burning in hell forever. I suggest ignoring such idiocy.

Amazing Insights
I had checked this book out from the local library having read some excerpts included in a college magazine.I have not been disappointed.Pascal has amazing insight and perspective into humanity.This book is for the "thinker."

The wager
Richard Feynman & Blaise Pascal are two scientists whose personalities fall on opposite ends of the spectrum. While Feynman was a happy-go-lucky prankster with a love of life & a wonderful sense of humor, Pascal was a deeply troubled individual, and perhaps even psychotically depressed.One could not get a bigger contrast between the two than to juxtapose this book with Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character).

This book is basically the memoirs of the mathematician. As such, it is presented in a similar way as The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Oxford World's Classics), Confessions of St. Augustine, The: Modern English Version and The Will to Power. However, I found the Pensees and Other Writings (Oxford World's Classics) to be the least "readable" of these 4 works. Its pessimism is all fine & well, but it's so relentless that it becomes a bit dull after awhile.To illustrate this, one of my favorite lines is "So it is wretched to know one is wretched, but there is greatness in the knowledge of one's wretchedness" (p. 37).Huh?

The book contains the most famous quotes of Pascal, including "Justice without strength is powerless.Strength without justice is tyrannical" (p. 34) and "The heart has its reasons which reason itself does not know:we know that through countless things."(p. 158) Of course, the latter part of the 2nd phrase is usually omitted when the quotation is invoked.

Unlike The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas (Five Volumes) by Thomas Aquinas and other examples of Christian apologetics, the present work is lacking in offering any "proofs" of God's existence.Rather, it is centered on the anxiety of a morose infatuation with death. Rather than proofs, Pascal continually insists on the approach of "You better believe in God, or else you'll be sorry!"People who are debating whether or not God exists are not likely to get a whole lot out of this book which will sway them one way or the other.

Obviously, the most famous tenet of Pascal is the wager, and it is discussed at length on pages 152-156. (For an excellent critique of the wager, see Critique of Religion and Philosophy by Walter A. Kaufmann). Ultimately, it's not an argument that's bound to convince (coerce?)too many modern persons to believe in an omnipotent power.

To return to the dichotomy between Feynman & Pascal:it intrigues me a bit that Pascal has always been a name trumpted by Christians as an intellectual who believed in God.I woud wager(!) that less than 1% of the Christians who espouse "Pascal the believer" have ever read this work.IF they knew just how melancholy he was, they might consider examining the effects of religion more closely.Nietzsche is said to have once quipped that (paraphrased) he would never forgive Christianity for what it did to Pascal.For myself, I much prefer the fun-loving outlook that Feynman had on life!

If you like morose works and you're a fan of books such as Sickness unto Death: A Christian Psychological Exposition of Edification & Awakening by Anti-Cli (Penguin Classics) by Soren Kierkegaard, then by all means this book is for you. Just beware that it's incredibly dry reading.I would recommend that you listen to the 4th movement of Mahler's 9th symphony while reading Pascal;both men had a trepidation about death, and you will be able to experience the expressions of dread that the musician & mathematician had in a nexus of somber tranquility.

the eternal march of darkness
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R13MT62X9KYO6X This film may, at first glance, seem a bit off-topic, if not offensive. Let me assure you, repeated viewings will confirm your suspicions that Pensees (thoughts) has everything to do with it. Confused? Ask questions.

A beautiful mind
Seldom does a week go by that one of Pascal's musings doesn't come to my mind.Most often, I think, his comment that he believes that all man's misery is due to either laziness or impatience ("....not being able to sit quietly in a room alone").I've seen that played out so many times, and it's my favorite lecture to my grandchildren.

As another reviewer has said, Pascal's most provocative reflections are on the miraculous survival of the nation of Israel and what that tells us about the divine authorship of the Bible. This was especially surprising and gratifying to me in light of his times and religious affiliation.

Most amusing is his fascination with the male fixation on games involving balls.He turns that one over and over and never quite figures it out.

I always find it restful to pick up this tiny, sweet-tempered book--so huge in its enduring wisdom--and read a few pages.It always gives me something more worthwhile and just plain fun to think about than politics and my irritating next-door neighbor. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Met Expectations
I am very pleased with this purchase.It arrived earlier than I expected which was awesome!

When philosophy goes bad
Pascal wrote this book to defend the Christian religion. I learned about it first in Catholic high school, and wasn't at all impressed. I would rank Pascal's argument at the bottom of all Christian arguments. He tries to tell us with his 'Wager' that it is a better bet to believe in God because you get an infinite gain, and if you don't believe him and are right that he doesn't exist you only get a finite gain. This is similar to a mathematical argument. However, this argument can also be used for the Muslim religion, or any other religion, even made up ones [Flying Spaghetti Monster], since we cannot prove with 100% accuracy that any god doesn't exist. There is no reasoning in this argument, only logic. Pascal wants you to believe in something that has no evidence in support of it simply because if you are right you won't be burning in hell forever. I suggest ignoring such idiocy.

personal library
An addition to personal library, do not know when chance will arise to read as seminary still requires another year of reading, no time for personal pursuits at this time.

On the Kindle version by Douglas Editions
Warning! If you reached this Kindle edition by way of the edition published by Penguin Classics, be aware that this Kindle edition (by Douglas Editions) of Pensees is not the same book. The Penguin version was translated by A. J. Krailsheimer, while this Kindle edition was translated by W. F. Trotter.

In my opinion, the Trotter translation is far weaker than the Krailsheimer translation, or any other translation I've checked. For example, consider these two translations of this thought:

"How is it that a lame man does not annoy us while a lame mind does? Because a lame man recognizes that we are walking straight, while a lame mind says that it is we who are limping."
--from A. J. Krailsheimer's translation

"How comes it that a cripple does not offend us, but that a fool does? Because a cripple recognises [sic] that we walk straight, whereas a fool declares that it is we who are silly;"
--from W. F. Trotter's translation

All the other translations I've compared these sentences to are far closer to the Krailsheimer translation than Trotter's. Unfortunately, all the Kindle editions of Pensees (as of this writing) are the Trotter translation. So all that's left is to compare the differences of the Kindle editions.

The rest of this review is based on the sample of the Douglas Editions version. This one has a table of contents, but it's not very good. All it lists is "Section 1", "Section 2", and so forth instead of descriptive names. It's also not linked directly from the menu, so you have to go to the cover then the next page to get to it. Footnotes are not active links.

I also noticed that there is a blank space between each paragraph. It doesn't really bother me, but I'm mentioning it anyway in case it bothers you.

Otherwise, this is a pretty vanilla Kindle edition. The font size is standard. (Some Kindle editions aren't.) There don't seem to be any flaws beyond what I mentioned. There's also no introduction or cover art.

It seems that this review will also show upunder the Kindle edition I did buy. That's the version of Pensées by Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It does have a descriptive Table of Contents which is accessible directly from the menu, cover art, and better formatting, though I would prefer a blank space before each numbered section. But it's still the Trotter translation, so I would give it only 3 stars.

Great But Dark Book, By a Great But Flawed Thinker
Pascal was undoubtedly a genius and this profound work further demonstrates that fact. Not for the feint-hearted, this work is very dark in places, but it is a passionate work by a very great, if flawed (is there any other type?), thinker. I deeply love this book. It is at times extraordinarily insightful and lucid, ranging over a variety of subjects, but as an atheist I find most of the religious passages heartbreaking. One needs to be damaged, but strong, in order to appreciate this wonderful book and this giant of a man. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of one of the most important scientists and mathematicians of the 1600's. Not only was he a brilliant scientist, but he was converted to Christianity as an adult and became a devoted apologist for the Christian faith. Of special interest to home schooling families, this book recounts the recognition by Pascal's father of his remarkable talents and the provisions he made for his son's education - one of the earliest and most successful examples of home schooling!For Christians, the account of Pascal's conversion is particularly moving as well as Pascal's immediate response to share the Gospel with his father, his sister and even with the nobleman who was his financial patron.This book is written on a 5th-6th grade reading level, but younger children will enjoy having it read out loud to them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

disappointed
BEWARE this is far from a scholarly biography.
This is far from what I had expected. I expected a biography of a brilliant
man but got an unapologetic evangelical polemic aimed at an elementary school student level. Monsieur Pascal would be rolling in dismay in his grave. It plays (to say the least) VERY fast and loose with the facts, at least as far as I can ascertain them from other sources. Pascal's famous "bet" does not fit well with this born again account of evangelical revelation and certainty. The truth of a terrifying Church/Inquisition demanding supremacy over all including reason peaks through the cracks in the lines here but historical truth is a largely a "left behind" casualty.

A Piece of the Mountain: The Story of Blaise Pascal
The Book came to me in perfect condition and within a week.
It is exactly what I was looking for; a book written at a younger
person's level about a very important and "heady" mathematician - turned
Philosopher.

A good book for the right audience
I should have read the other reviews more closely.This book is written for a target audience of 5th and 6th graders.I was expecting a factual biography but this is actually a children's book written to entertain.I believe it probably does entertain to the targeted audience but I would not recommend this book to someone researching this theologian's life.

An inspiring and fascinating biography of a genius
Here is the biography of a life well worth studying.Pascal was one of those rare people who, like da Vinci, was a genius in several areas--in science, mathematics, and theology.He also helped develop the world's first public transit system!As homeschoolers, we also enjoyed the depiction of his early education, as he and his siblings were taught by their brilliant, loving father. Throughout, the book reveals Pascal as a thoroughly decent and honest man. I highly recommend this book for about sixth grade up through adults.

Wow, what a great biography!
I never knew as much about Blaise Pascal until I had read this book.What I'm really interested in is getting to know all of those lovely sources that McPherson used for her research material.

Before I had read this book, I didn't know much about Pascal's scientific experiments or his contributions to French society.This book has also cleared up a lot of the background concerning Pascal's writings.It is well written and highly entertaining. ... Read more

Product Description

This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every section and footnote. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including the Kindle, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

Customer Reviews (1)

poetic study of human nature
Pensees (Thoughts) by Blaise Pascal. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

This book is best read in small doses or it becomes too much. The book takes the form of many small comments and analysis, a notebook written in shorthand if you will. The translation allows us a look inside one of the greatest thinkers of all time.
... Read more

Product Description
Peter Kreeft believes that Blaise Pascal is the first post-medieval apologist. No writer in history, claims Kreeft, is a more effective Christian apologist and evangelist to today's uprooted, confused, secularized pagans (inside and outside the Church) than Pascal. He was a brilliant man--a great scientist who did major work in physics and mathematics, as well as an inventor--whom Kreeft thinks was three centuries ahead of his time. His apologetics found in his Pensées are ideal for the modern, sophisticated skeptic.

Kreeft has selected the parts of Pascal's Pensées which best respond to the needs of modern man, and offers his own comments on applying Pascal's wisdom to today's problems. Addressed to modern skeptics and unbelievers, as well as to modern Christians for apologetics and self-examination, Pascal and Kreeft combine to provide a powerful witness to Christian truth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Good.
I am giving only four stars not five because I needed it for a class, and it came later than I expected.Other than that, the book arrived in the condition that I expected.I highly recommend the book for those who want to learn to defend their faith against modern critics and skeptics of Christianity.I also highly recommend the reading for sketpics and critics.Read once quick, then re-read in a critical manner.

Christianity for MOdern Pagans
The book was upside down. If the class had not already started I would have returned it. It is usable but one does not expect to pay for a book that is incorrectlybound without prior approval. I am dissatisfied with this order.

Among the Best of Apologists
It is always a relief to read a very good book of apologists because there are so many ordinary ones.Pascal reads as fresh as when he originally wrote the pensees, and Kreefts adds immeasurably to the understanding and appreciation of Pascal's words.In terms of the quality of this work, I have got as much out of it as C S Lewis or Philip Yancey albiet Pascal is more sophisticated in many ways.

A pleasure to read

Mr. Kreeft does it again in this book about Pascal's 'Pensses'.He picks up Pascal's best or most important 'pensees' and gives us his view of them. He does not intend to explain or interpret them, since they are to be interpreted individually by each of us, but he expands them, he adds to them what a modern reader -living in a neo-pagan world- would have come to his mind.

Mr. Kreeft is a masterful teacher. For those who are afraid of delving into the original authors like Pascal, Thomas Aquinas, etc. we have Mr. Kreeft to introduce us to them.

And for the Christian person this book is almost mandatory, it is the fresh air that we need to keep fighting in this ever more pagan world.

Let's not get carried away with Kreeft
I have used this book in my college classes for several years. The reason why is that Kreeft knows how to get the students going. He is, and sounds like, a crotchety old Catholic. He is very opinionated - which is good (and bad). If you like that, then you will love his book on apologetics. But this does get him in trouble several times when he states somewhat imperiously that "Pascal REALLY means this..." (or that). He does this contra Pascal himself who is obviously being subtle.But a good teacher lets the students decide, and often they decide against Kreeft. The other major problem with Kreeft is that in spite of his (imperious?) pronouncement in the beginning of the book that he only included the truly worthy Pensees he nevertheless managed to leave out some of my big favorites. In spite of these somewhat minor criticisms this book is still a classic commentary and can be a terrific way to get in on Pascal. ... Read more

Product Description
Roger Ariew masterfully renders the oddities of 17th-century French vocabulary and syntax in this eloquent and philosophically astute translation—the first complete English translation based on the Sellier edition of Pascal’s manuscript, widely accepted as the version closest to what Pascal intended. Ariew provides a select bibliography of primary and secondary sources, a chronology of Pascal’s life and works, a brief history of the text, concordances between the Sellier and Lafuma editions of the original, and an index. ... Read more

Product Description
Pascal's Pensees is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Blaise Pascal is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Blaise Pascal then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

INTRODUCTION BY T.S. ELIOT
I have not read this but I just wanted to give a little info about this edition. Translation by W.F Trotter. The introduction is by T.S. Eliot. "It is the combination of the scientist, the honnete homme, and the religious nature with a passionate craving for God that makes Pascal unique...." ... Read more

Product Description
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) earned recognition as a renowned mathematician, physicist—and a man after God's heart. As he came to the forefront of geometry and physics, he turned his considerable analytical abilities to study religion or, as he said, to "contemplate the greatness and the misery of man." Pascal's classic defense of Christianity—Pensées—persuaded many a skeptic in his time.

Today, editor James Houston has organized Pascal's meditations into a logical progression of thought that contemporary readers can enjoy in Mind on Fire. Described as a "Masterpiece of theological scholarship," Mind on Fire also includes selections from Pascal's Letters to a Provincial, a description of his conversion in his own words. ... Read more

Product Description
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) occupies a position of pivotal importance in many domains: philosophy, mathematics, physics, religious polemics and apologetics. A team of leading scholars surveys the range of his achievement and intellectual background as well as the reception of his work. New readers and nonspecialists will find a convenient and accessible guide to Pascal and advanced students and specialists, a conspectus of recent developments in the interpretation of his works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A readable overview of an important historical figure
We've all heard of Pascal, but not many of us know much about him. Now that I've read this book, I have a much better understanding of who he was (not only a religious thinker, but also a sort of renaissance man who invented an early calculator and promoted public transport in the 17th century). The book helped to fill a major gap in my education. Although the articles are written by scholars, they are interesting and highly readable, without condescending to non-experts. ... Read more

Product Description
Using the writings of the seventeenth-century genius Blaise Pascal as a central guide, Morris explores the nature of faith, reason, and the meaning of life. His lucid reflections provide fresh, fertile insights and perspectives for any thoughtful person journeying through life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Pascal, Reason, and The Wager
It's not easy to amaze or impress a veteran apologist, but in this volume analyzing the work of "Pensées" by Blaise Pascal, Thomas Morris found himself consistently challenged by the mathematician's penetrating arguments. In "Making Sense of It All," Morris professes that "Pensées" gives "scintillating and profound reflections" (p. 2). He admits that this "is not a book about Pascal" (p. 2) but it is a book about what `"Pensées' is about" (p. 2).

Pascal was a child genius and a devout believer in Christ. Pascal's Pensées is widely considered to be a objet d' art, and an preeminent work of French literature. Historian Will Durant opined: that the "Pensées" is the the "most eloquent book in French prose." In "Pensées" the philosophical genius propounded Pascal's Wager. He formulated his wage because he believed that the metaphysical proofs for the existence of God are so remote from reasoning and so involved that they make little impact" (p. 656).

Hence he proposed that "Either God is or he is not. But which view shall we be inclined? Reason cannot decide this question" (p. 111). He presses the application of this contention with his formula:
"(probability X payoff) - cost = expected value" (p. 112).
Pascal added that evidence for God's existence is "at least equal to the evidence of the contrary" (p. 114). Furthermore affirming God's existence is "attractive because it promises true good" (p. 145). His devotion is expressed as he states "clarity together with such simplicity is wonderful" in Jesus Christ (p. 168).

Chapters include:

- Need for a Guide
- Folly of the indifferent
- Waging a life
- Marks of truth
- Faith and the heart and more (210 pages).

This is a stellar introduction into Pascal's "Pensées" and is written in an appealing and flowing style.
The Necessary Existence of God: The Proof of Christianity Through Presuppositional Apologetics

THe Deight of Pascal
T.V. Morris gives a helpful and delightful introduction to the theological thought of Blaise Pascal. He helps bring order to the scattered quotes we may hear, while helping us see how Pascal can assist us on our own spiritual journeys. Highly recommended!

Making Sense of It All
While teaching philosophy at Notre Dame Thomas V. Morris published some books which reward careful study.I know little about him, though he was reared in the South, involved in Campus Crusade for Christ, graduated from the University of North Carolina, and took advanced degrees from Yale University.He brings to his works a refreshing enthusiasm and scholarly richness which rewards his readers and reminds us that solid Christian thinkers of the first rank still flourish.
Making Sense of It All:Pascal and the Meaning of Life (Grand Rapids:William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, c. 1992) is the most accessible of the publications I've read."When you stop to think about it," he says, "life can be very confusing" (p. 1).Given that reality, we need good guides to show us how we should live.Blaise Pascal, Morris insists, is one of the greatest guides, attuned to our concerns though he lived 350 years ago.Pascal was, of course, one of the most brilliant thinkers in human history.Making original contributions in mathematics (on his own he replicated Euclid's geometry at the age of twelve and wrote a ground-breaking treatise on conic sections four years later) and science (inventing the first calculating machine, the forerunner of today's computers), he became a fixture of France's intelligentsia. Then, "on the night of November 23, 1654, at the age of thirty-one, Pascal had a profound and deeply moving mystical experience that dramatically turned him around, reorienting all his priorities" (p. 9).He met God.He met the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob . . . God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Immersing himself in spiritual concerns, Pascal, during the next eight years, jotted down notes for a theological treatise he planned to write--an explanation and defense of the Christian faith which he hoped would appeal to unbelievers.Tragically, he died at the age of 39, leaving us only the loosely organized collection of thoughts, his Pensees, one of the greatest and most quotable of Christian classics.These thoughts, Morris thinks, may guide us to our own awakening, our own discovery of life's meaning. Pascal incessantly prods us to ponder life's great questions.How misspent, he thought, is the life of one who slides along without seriously attending to life's essence.Our bored indifference to ultimate realities, timeless truths, is surely our greatest flaw.As he viewed it, "This negligence in a matter where they themselves, their eternity, their all are at stake, fills me more with irritation than pity; it astounds and appalls me; it seems quite monstrous to me" (p. 23).
Monstrous is a good label for it!It's like hoarding pennies while using thousand dollar bills for cooking fuel!We who teach philosophy and theology, of course, almost daily face the same apparent indifference Pascal condemned!(It is at least consoling to realize folks were equally unmoved in Pascal's day!)I've often been mystified by the interest students show in some trivial campus event compared to their frequently bored response to questions concerning heaven and hell, death and immortality!If we don't just ignore ultimate issues, however, we find ways to keep our minds on other things.Diversions fill our waking hours and dull our minds to the possibilities of more important things.No writer, in my experience, better dissects this malaise."'Being unable to cure death, wretchedness and ignorance," he wrote, "men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things'" (p. 31). What he'd have said about our media-dominated culture, where as Neil Postman suggests we're "amusing ourselves to death," one can only imagine!But it's clear that many of us seek shelter from reality by making sure we're forever immersed in noise and activity.
Beyond trying to shock us to think more seriously, Pascal sets forth ways to do so.He strug¬gles to discern what makes life meaningful, what makes life good.Such questions cannot be reduced to scientific inquiry with empirical data and logical proofs.Thinkers who seek to make metaphysics or theology purely rational, endeavoring to "prove the existence of God," for example, forever fail simply because they take the wrong approach.They fail to remember Aristotle's wise advice to always use the right methodology when approaching a given realm of reality.
Christians, of course, use reason--Pascal did it with the best--but they know there's more to reality than reason, that some realms of reality need to be encountered through other means.As Pascal said:"'We know the truth not only through our reason but also through our heart.It is through the latter that we know first principles, and reason, which has nothing to do with it, tries in vain to refute them'" (p. 82).
Thus we know God, who is largely hidden from us, more through the heart than the head.As he explains it:"'What can be seen on earth indicates neither the total absence, nor the mani¬fest pre¬sence of divinity, but the presence of a hidden God.Everything bears this stamp'" (p. 94).God, and the meaning of life, become known to those who truly seek Him.He does not reveal himself to the intellectually able who demand He conform to their standards.Indeed, he re¬marked, "'Pius scholars rare'" (p. 37).Would that were not true!Bit we who seek truth in the realms of scholarship often get ensnared in our own hard¬ened mental vises--vises which become vices in time!
No, God comes to those who welcome Him, those who open their hearts to Him."'Truly religious people must humble themselves in the worship and obedience of a creator they do not see'" (p. 146).He comes to those who are willing to bet their lives on the truth of His Being.Thus we must understand Pascal's famous "wager," whereby he challenges us to risk believing in God, to dare to commit ourselves to the living truth that God-in-Christ unveils reality and assures immortality.This grows out of his insistence that we encounter God in our hearts, not our heads.
To find meaning in life, of course, we must understand not only truth about God but truth about ourselves.Addressing the nature of human nature, Pascal recognized both the dignity and depravity of man.He celebrated man's uniqueness, with his capacity to think and act.But he also recognized how tragically flawed, how abominably sinful we are.Only the Christian religion, he argued, properly appreciates both aspects of human nature.Involved somewhat with the Jansenists of his day, he was profoundly influenced by Augustine, taking a somber view of humanity, and attacked the Jesuits of his day who minimized the enormity of sin.But he never slipped into the dark pessimism of those Reformed theologians who stressed the utter total¬ity of human depravity.
Though I've focused almost exclusively on Pascal, the focus of Morris's Making Sense of It All is much more than an scissors-and-paste collage of quotations with transitional comments and explanations of the French genius.To show how contemporary are the issues Pascal raised, Morris injects illustrations ranging from Tolstoy's novels to Woodie Allen's movies.This book is a marvelous illustration of a gifted teacher at work:introducing students to one of the greatest philosophers, making his ideas clear and relevant without compromising the essence of his positions.
Arthur Holmes says "This book deserves the kind of popularity C.S. Lewis's apologetic writings have earned," which is high praise from a respected evangelical philosopher.While I would demur from lifting Morris to Lewis's level, I am genuinely impressed with this book.

The title is appropriate for such a Herculean task as us men.
It's understandable why commentaries like these are needed for Pascal's philosophy given several factors. One is that Pascal's philosophical volume was left incomplete and is scattered into random tidbits, like a college kid's outline of his term paper, only the outline seems more like first draft quality. Secondly, tying into the first reason, is that the scattered aspects of the Pensees are no exaggeration and it is confusingly painful to read through them. Given that they read like a mix of random aphorisms alongside paragraphs of what could have been in its final form, a completely realized intricate philosophy, it is necessary then for scholarship to both explicate and interest readers.

Morris is a Christian apologist, which allows him to fully understand and communicate Pascal's philosophy with rigorous intellectual discipline. At the same time, his bias is overwhelming both in his inability to scour the problems laid through in Pascal's philosophy and his nigh fanaticism is how he brings up other Christian apologetics such as Lewis's faulty Trilemma argument alongside others, used to try and complement Pascal's philosophical doctrine. But Morris fails to give either the deserved intellectual treatment, failing to mention or outright ignoring typical responses that have been used to cover both subjects.

Pascal's existentialist doctrine, especially as it relates to God, fits well with Morris's conversationalist tone throughout. He is able to easily draw the reader in and uses anecdotes to convey his message. Given that most of Pascal's philosophy concerning God relied upon no rationalism like Descartes or Spinoza but a traditional viewpoint of God regarding the Bible and miracles, it is appropriate that Morris has a lack of detail concerning rationalistic countermeasures to some of the complementary material such as anecdotes or other philosophical doctrines he uses to support Pascal. At the same time the endless babbling at times grows frustrating especially when Morris's lack of attention or simply put his ignorance when it comes to rebuttals to his flimsy anecdotes or of the faulty philosophies he upholds as valid when countless attention has been dedicated to their weaknesses.

Paradoxically enough, Morris's utilization of other philosophers to support Pascal could have also been used to give Pascalian thought the proper treatment. For example, one of Pascal's thoughts is dedicated to the inefficacy of metaphysical arguments in proving God's existence. His critique is focused upon the arguments' tendency to both be ineffective as well as their focus upon satisfying one's ego since the person coming up with the argument would worry they made a mistake later on, missing the point of postulating the argument in the first place, which is to know God. However, a Cartesian rebuttal can be found in that Descartes had a bit of an existential crisis himself in his construction of his Cogito Ergo Sum argument which led him to his ontological arguments for God's existence, of which were made to try and define God since the idea of being without God in this wild universe was disastrous for him. Even then however he conceded that he was unable to completely define God's existence and so left some aspects of God up in the air, such as the problem of evil along with other inexplicable questions of God, positions alike Pascal's as well as demonstrating that rational metaphysics for God can serve as a means to an end and lead to genuine salvation after all, opposing Pascal's claims. Were these types of conclusions mentioned in Morris's book, it would be more intellectually stimulating both to newcomers to Pascal or philosophy in general and actual Christians looking for more than simply having their beliefs regurgitated back at them.

Paradoxically enough, sometimes Morris's support of Pascal really cost him the possibilities of some truly amusing anecdotes. As such a witty person myself, I will end on the note that this review is very much a commentary alike Morris's commentary so this fits: Take Morris's support of one of the premises of Pascal's Wager, which entails that either God exists or does not exist. Both men attest it to a 50/50 chance but in our wide universe with all the myriad possibilities, it's akin to some slob entering the lottery believing his chances to be 50/50. Try making sense of that.

The Greatness and the Wretchedness of Pascal's Thought
I honestly don't know what to say about this book.It's written by a prominent Christian philosopher, Thomas Morris.He draws on Pascal's Pensees to give an analysis of faith, reason and the human condition.The writing is clear and conversational, the topics are profound, and some sections -- such as the discussion of skepticism -- are gems of lucidity.But boiled down to its essentials, the Pascal/Morris argument goes like this:

-- People without faith in God are unhappy and wretched.They spend most of their time covering up and denying their unhappiness and wretchedness;

-- Therefore, God must exist, because believing in Him makes people happy, if only because it ensures that they'll be cared for in the afterlife;

-- In fact, God must be the Christian God, the father of Jesus and one of the Trinity, since hoary old "miracles" and "prophecies" attest to the authority of the Bible.

That's Pascal's argument in a nutshell.Really.It's that flimsy.All the focus is on knocking down atheism as an untenable way of life.Once that's accomplished, a fairly doctrinaire form of Christianity is treated as the natural default position.No consideration is given to other religious options -- even though most religious traditions can boast "miracles" and "prophecies" of their own.No consideration is given to the possibility of forging an atheistic life of courage and decency.Bad faith reigns supreme:Pascal appeals to Christians looking for practical reasons to keep up Christian practice even though they suspect Christianity is false.

I love the Pensees, but their elegant aphorisms and sharp insights can obscure the absurdity of the total argument.The same is true of Morris's book.It's a good reminder that Christian philosophers should keep their philosophy separate from their Christianity. ... Read more

Product Description
Created by the seventeenth-century philosopher and mathematician Pascal, the essays contained in Human Happiness are a curiously optimistic look at whether humans can ever find satisfaction and real joy in life – or whether a belief in God is a wise gamble at best. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves – and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives – and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Incomparable Pascal
Taken from the Penguin classics edition of Pensees (French for "thoughts"), this is a collection of selected sayings relating to the human condition. Ever since I first read Pensees in 1977, Pascal's ruminations on the magesty and misery of man have enriched and edified me. I return to this insights often and often quote him in my writings and lectures.

If one reads and reflects on this shorter collection, one will likely want to read the entire Pensees, despite the difficulty in understanding where some of the fragments would have fit into the larger apologetic work that Pascal was never able to finish, given his poor health. One may also be interested in reading my book, On Pascal (Wadsworth, 2003), for more on Pascal's achievements as a scientist and philosopher.

My only complaint is that the book lacks any introductory material, which would have helped the neophyte understand Pascal's life and thought. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pascal in brief
The Fleming H. Revell Company put together four slim volumes of spiritual classics, one each for Augustine of Hippo, Soren Kierkegaard, Martin Luther, and Blaise Pascal.I'm not sure if they were intending to have further volumes available, but in any event, these four were published, and make an interesting little set of spiritual classics.

I say 'little set', for these books are small indeed.Each has 64 pages, and the book's footprint size is barely that of a large index card.These are pocket-books in a true sense of the word.They also offer a way of being introduced to masters of spiritual writing in a way that is brief, accessible and not intimidating.

In the introduction to the book on Pascal, Robert van de Weyer (who has published collections on things in many religious traditions, including Celtic spirituality, Islam, and a print of an early version of the Book of Common Prayer) states that Pascal was famous in his lifetime as a scientist and mathematician, but it is for his philosophical and religious writings that he is better known today.He was a Roman Catholic, but his writings are prized both by Catholics and Protestants, in part because of the praise John Wesley gave to Pascal's discussion of conversion.

Van de Weyer gives a brief discussion of Pascal's life, particularly the religious aspects and his writing.Van de Weyer states that Pascal is difficult to categorise as a religious writer, because his work is of a class by itself.He was not a mystic, a theologian or an inspirational writer as those terms are commonly understood.However, his keen insights and logical thought processes, combined with a care for observation and analysis in a scientific sense, yield very interesting pieces on passion, reason, faith, and prayer. The book is decorated throughout with colour plates of images inspired by the writings.

This is far from a comprehensive book, and in no way a critical commentary.However, for brief kinds of reading, lectio divina and other kinds of inspirational or meditative reading with a bit of historical and theological content thrown in for good measure, this text on Pascal is a good volume to use, together with the other volumes in this series.It is a bit difficult to find, but worth it.
... Read more

Product Description
"You always fly from the one extreme to the other," replied the monk: "prithee avoid that habit. For, just to show you that we are far from permitting everything, let me tell you that we never suffer such a thing as a formal intention to sin, with the sole design of sinning; and if any person whatever should persist in having no other end but evil in the evil that he does, we break with him at once: such conduct is diabolical. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

"Provincial Letters" in a provincial book
"They have proved agreeable to men of the world, and intelligible even to the ladies" (p. 25) or "It being a much easier matter with them to find monks than reasons" (p.30) or "There is a vast difference between laughing at religion and laughing at those who profane it by their extravagant opinions" (p. 117) or "I need not the aid of any but yourselves to confute you" (p. 171), and of course, "The present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter" (p. 192). Pascal's witting style has been a major influence for most shining in irony writers, and the "Provincial Letters" - although Pascal didn't give the title - addressed to "the reverend fathers" (the Jesuits) are the best proof.

However, the book as published by NuVision Publications contains no comments, nor information about the background of the dispute (it does have contents, nevertheless). Not even a single paragraph for Pascal's life (born? - died?), his education and the impact (if any) his letters had in literature. It seems that the body of the letters was taken from a website (there are many containing all letters) and printed exactly as appeared, justified and page-numbered. I think that the price is too high considering the work it took to be published, or the rights the publishers did (not) pay. So, 5-star rate for the Letters, and 1 for the book.

Anyway, not everyone appreciated Pascal's humor. If you want a second opinion for Pascal, try "Men of Mathematics" by the reputable E. T. Bell, who wrote that "among other things which Pascal totally [sic] lacked was a sense of humor". What a bummer, eh?

Excellent Read; Humorous and Insightful
This series of letters by Blaise Pascal has it all; humor, a good guy (Pascal) and bad guys (Jesuits), and a moral.

Pascal wrote these letters in defense of his Jansenist friends who were being branded as heretics by the Jesuits.At the time, the Jesuits were a powerful religious order who basically taught Christianity all over the world.

In the Provincial Letters, Pascal exposes and ridicules the doctrines of the Jesuits, especially the "doctrine of probable opinions".The Jesuits (supposedly) were attempting to update the Christian doctrine to satisfy the lax morals of the modern world.In an attempt to "widen the pipe" to heaven, the Jesuits developed "modern" church doctrine (while ignoring traditional church doctrine, and the scriptures) to compensate for societies lax morals.

Pascal, defender of the faith, effectively ridicules their doctrines and shows their errors.

A word of caution, the letters are difficult going with respect to discussions on the finer theological points of view (how far we have fallen regarding knowledge of our faith).A good introduction will orient the reader to the conflicts and provide information regarding many of the theological discussions (the edition I used did not have an introduction; this one may).However, Pascal's writing is so humorous and engaging that I continued reading even when I was lost in the argument.

I am on record (in another review) as stating that religion should be updated to reflect our modern view of the world.However, these letters point out the danger of attempting to do that.I need to reconsider that approach. ... Read more

Product Description
This book focuses on Blaise Pascal's PensZes, an apology for Christianity, which is regarded as Pascal's crowning achievement. ... Read more