Descartes and Pascal
J.H.M. Salmon asserts that René Descartes and Blaise Pascal stand out from other men of letters of their era due to the enduring relevance of their lives and works.
Two of the intellectual heroes of seventeenth-century France are better remembered than any of the kings and the cardinals, the captains and the courtiers, and perhaps deservedly so. Rene Descartes and Blaise Pascal stand out from the philosophers, theologians, mathematicians, scientists and men of letters of the time, partly because their genius extended to all these fields, but mainly because their influence appears to lie behind two rival views of the world that have descended to us.
The first has the reputation of the father of modern rationalism; the second of the sublime misanthropist (Voltaire’s phrase) who in both science and religion preferred experience to deductive logic. The contrast between them seems epitomized in the words attributed to Pascal:
‘I cannot forgive Descartes. In his whole philosophy he would like to dispense with God, but he could not help allowing Him a flick of the fingers to set the world in motion, after which he had no more use for God.’
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
