Pascal

To believe or not?

Believe: may have an infinite amount of good in eternity but will have wasted you time on earth Not: may end in infinite amount of terror but will have treasures on this earth

still not convinced?

Change your passions (fake it till you make it)

Pascal on war?

Does not think it is right that one should die for the issues between his king and another because their issues have nothing to do with him

what is Efficacious Grace?

God gives us grace and the Grace to accept his grace (similar to Augustine)

Pascal wrote? during when?

Pensees "thought" published in 1670 the 30 years war (1618-1648)

You can know truth through?

Reason and Heart

Pascal on politics? (tyranny)

The desire to dominate everything regardless of order

How is God perceived?

Through heart not through reason

Deprivation of Man?

With man there is deprivation (sin), but not total depravity

pascal on imagination?

an arrogant force that dominates reason

Diversion?

constantly distract ourselves in order to forget about death and our wretchedness. "w/o diversion there is no joy; with diversion there is no sadness"

What do we love about people?

for their characteristics that are ever changing, not for who they are (their essence)

Man's condition?

inconsistent, boredom, anxiety, never keeps the present but lives in the future and past

What does imagination do to us?

makes us believe, doubt, deny reason and deadens the senses, makes fools happy but not wise

Pre-destination?

some have God's gift of natural, predestination faith. however, those who don't receive it can still choose to follow commandments etc., and therefor be saved.

Pascal on God shaped hole?

there is a void in our lives that can only be filled by God even though we try to fill it with other things in this life

Who is God's grace available to?

to all but some choose to receive it and others choose to sin

The wager?

used to convince non believers to believe.

Pascal on Humanity?

we are both wretched and exalted above the whole nature (duel which is why we have contradictions within ourselves)

What was the Pensees written as?

- as an apology to the christian faith (explanation) - defense of the Christ Faith - to move an unbeliever to faith through rational arguments and a reasoned articulation of faith

Pascal on Reason?

-Can not decide the question if God is or if God is not - Can not make you choose either or prove God's existence or non-existence

Right and Might?

-Right without might= helpless -might without right= tyrannical -we must combine right and might but only in the way that we make might into right -right is open to dispute -might is recognized without dispute

2 equally constant truths?

1. man is created in a high state; grace, unto God, image 2. Man has sinned and become like the beasts

When was Blaise Pascal alive?

1623-1662

You can know nature through?

Instinct and rational