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Quote by Blaise Pascal

“Eloquence is a way of saying things in such a way, first, that those to whom we speak may listen to them without pain and with pleasure, and second, that they feel themselves interested, so that self-love leads them more willingly to reflection upon it.”

Quote by Blaise Pascal

Author

Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and theologian. He was born on June 19, 1623, and died on August 19, 1662. Pascal's contributions to mathematics were particularly significant, with groundbreaking work in probability theory, analytical geometry, and early calculus. more

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“True eloquence makes light of eloquence, true morality makes light of morality; that is to say, the morality of the judgment, which has no rules, makes light of the morality of the intellect.... To make light of philosophy is to be a true philosopher.”

Philosophy Light Morality Judgment Philosopher Intellect Eloquence

Book:Thoughts

Source: Thoughts

“Sneezing absorbs all the functions of the soul just as much as the [sexual] act, but we do not draw from it the same conclusions against the greatness of man, because it is involuntary; although we bring it about, we do so involuntarily. It is not for the sake of the thing in itself but for another end, and is therefore not a sign of man's weakness, or his subjection to this act.”

Men Soul Ends Sex Greatness Draws Weakness Function Sake Conclusion Involuntary Subjection Greatness Of Man Sneezing

Book:Pascal Pensées

Source: Pascal Pensées

“The only thing which consoles for our miseries is diversion, and yet this is the greatest of our miseries. For it is this which principally hinders us from reflecting upon ourselves and which makes us imperceptibly ruin ourselves.”

Sadness Misery Ruins Reflecting Hinder Console Diversion Reflecting Upon

Author:Blaise Pascal

“Human life is thus only a perpetual illusion; men deceive and flatter each other. No one speaks of us in our presence as he does of us in our absence. Human society is founded on mutual deceit; few friendships would endure if each knew what his friend said of him in his absence, although he then spoke in sincerity and without passion.”

Ifs Men Humans Doe Said Life Is Passion Speak Illusion Endure Absence Deception Human Life Deceit Spokes Mutual Sincerity Perpetual Deceiving Flattery Human Society

Book:Pascal's Pensees

Source: Pascal's Pensees

“Undoubtedly equality of goods is just; but, being unable to cause might to obey justice, men has made it just to obey might. Unable to strengthen justice, they have justified might--so that the just and the strong should unite, and there should be peace, which is the sovereign good.”

Men Should Made Might Strong Force Causes Justice Power Made It Goods Sovereign Justified

Author:Blaise Pascal

“How comes it that a cripple does not offend us, but a fool does? Because a cripple recognizes that we walk straight, whereas a fool declares that it is we who are silly; if it were not so, we should feel pity and not anger.”

Ifs Feels Should Doe Walks Fool Silly Pity Insanity Folly Cripples

Book:Thoughts

Source: Thoughts

“Those who profess contempt for men, and put them on a level with beasts, yet wish to be admired and believed by men, and contradict themselves by their own feelings--their nature, which is stronger than all, convincing them of the greatness of man more forcibly than reason convinces them of his baseness.”

Men Reason Feelings Wish Levels Human Nature Greatness Stronger Beast Convince Contempt Convincing Baseness Greatness Of Man

Author:Blaise Pascal

“The greatness of man is so evident that it is even proved by his wretchedness. For what in animals is nature, we call in man wretchedness--by which we recognize that, his nature being now like that of animals, he has fallen from a better nature which once was his.”

Men Animal Human Nature Greatness Fallen Evident Wretchedness Greatness Of Man

Book:Pensées

Source: Pensées

“It is dangerous to tell the people that the laws are unjust; for they obey them only because they think them just. Therefore it isnecessary to tell them at the same time that they must obey them because they are laws, just as they must obey superiors, not because they are just, but because they are superiors. In this way all sedition is prevented.”

People Thinking Way Law Justice Dangerous Superiors Unjust

Book:Pascal selections

Source: Pascal selections

“We do not content ourselves with the life we have in ourselves and in our being; we desire to live an imaginary life in the mind of others, and for this purpose we endeavor to shine. We labor unceasingly to adorn and preserve this imaginary existence and neglect the real.”

Mind Real Desire Purpose Existence Labor Shining Vanity Preserves Hypocrisy Neglect Endeavor Imaginary Desire To Live Imaginary Life

Book:Thoughts, Letters, and Minor Works

Source: Thoughts, Letters, and Minor Works