Pascal: Reasoning and Belief

Description

This book is a study of Blaise Pascal's defence of Christian belief in the Pensées. Michael Moriarty aims to expound―and in places to criticize―what he argues is a coherent and original apologetic strategy. Setting out the basic philosophical and theological presuppositions of Pascal's project, the present volume draws the distinction between convictions attained by reason and those inspired by God-given faith. It also presents Pascal's view of the contradictions within human nature, between the 'wretchedness' (our inability to live the life of reason, to attain secure and durable happiness) and the 'greatness' (the power of thought, manifested in the very awareness of our wretchedness). His mind-body dualism and his mechanistic conception of non-human animals are discussed. Pascal invokes the biblical story of the Fall and the doctrine of original sin as the only credible explanation of these contradictions. His analysis of human occupations as powered by the twin desire to escape from painful thoughts and to gratify one's vanity is subjected to critical examination, as is his conception of the self and self-love. Pascal argues that just as Christianity propounds the only explanation for the human condition, so it offers the only kind of happiness that would satisfy our deepest longings. He thus reasons that we have an interest in investigating its truth-claims as rooted in the Bible and in history. The closing chapters of this book discuss Pascal's view of Christian morality and the famous 'wager' argument for opting in favour of Christian belief. Contents Preface Note on References and Translations List of Abbreviations Part I 1. Introduction 2. Contexts 3. The Uses of Philosophy: the Entretien avec M. de Sacy 4. Belief, Reason, Persuasion, Faith 5. Order and Disorder 6. Futility and Wretchedness 7. Reasons for the Irrational 8. Human Greatness 9. Contradictions 10. The Fall 11. Self Part II 12. Diversion 13. Happiness 14. ‘The Plan of his Whole Work’ Part III 15. The Need to Seek for God 16. The Claims and Limits of Reason 17. Transition 18. True and False Religions: the Singularity of Christianity 19. The Order of Charity 20. The Wager 21. Conclusion Bibliography Index