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Blaise Pascal Quotes

Scientist

Here is a thoughtful collection of quotes from Blaise Pascal, a brilliant thinker whose work spanned mathematics, physics, philosophy, and theology. Best known for his contributions to probability theory and for his philosophical writings in Pensées, Pascal explored the tensions between faith and reason with remarkable depth. These quotes reveal his penetrating insight into the human condition, belief, doubt, and the complexities of the mind and heart.

Nie betrieben die Menschen das Böse so umfassend und freudig wie aus religiöser Überzeugung.
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Δύο υπερβολές : ν' αποκλείουμε το Λόγο, και να μη δεχόμαστε παρά μόνο το Λόγο.
From Pensées
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When I see the blind and wretched state of men, when I survey the whole universe in its deadness, and man left to himself with no light, as though lost in this corner of the universe without knowing who put him there, what he has to do, or what will become of him when he dies, incapable of knowing anything, I am moved to terror, like a man transported in his sleep to some terrifying desert island, who wakes up quite lost, with no means of escape. Then I marvel that so wretched a state does not drive people to despair.
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No religion except ours has taught that man is born in sin; none of the philosophical sects has admitted it; none therefore has spoken the truth
From Pensées
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I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter.
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I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter."

(Letter 16, 1657)
From The Provincial Letters
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I made this [letter] very long, because I did not have the leisure to make it shorter.
From The Provincial Letters
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To make light of philosophy is to be a true philosopher.
From Pensées
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Each man is everything to himself, for with his death everything is dead for him. That is why each of us thinks he is everything to everyone. We must not judge nature by ourselves, but by its own standards.
From Pensées
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If we submit everything to reason our religion will be left with nothing mysterious or supernatural. If we offend the principles of reason our religion will be absurd and ridiculous . . . There are two equally dangerous extremes: to exclude reason, to admit nothing but reason.
From Pensées
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And if one loves me for my judgement, memory, he does not love me, for I can lose these qualities without losing myself. Where, then, is this Ego, if it be neither in the body nor in the soul? And how love the body or the soul, except for these qualities which do not constitute me, since they are perishable? For it is impossible and would be unjust to love the soul of a person in the abstract and whatever qualities might be therein. We never, then, love a person, but only qualities.
Let us, then, jeer no more at those who are honoured on account of rank and office; for we love a person only on account of borrowed qualities.
From Pensées
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Being unable to cure death, wretchedness and ignorance, men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things.
From Pensées
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Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed.
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Noble deeds that are concealed are most esteemed.
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To ridicule philosophy is really to philosophize.
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If our state were really happy, we should not need to take our minds off it in order to make ourselves happy.
From Pensées
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Nie betrieben die Menschen das Böse so umfassend und freudig wie aus religiöser Überzeugung.
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Δύο υπερβολές : ν' αποκλείουμε το Λόγο, και να μη δεχόμαστε παρά μόνο το Λόγο.
From Pensées
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When I see the blind and wretched state of men, when I survey the whole universe in its deadness, and man left to himself with no light, as though lost in this corner of the universe without knowing who put him there, what he has to do, or what will become of him when he dies, incapable of knowing anything, I am moved to terror, like a man transported in his sleep to some terrifying desert island, who wakes up quite lost, with no means of escape. Then I marvel that so wretched a state does not drive people to despair.
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No religion except ours has taught that man is born in sin; none of the philosophical sects has admitted it; none therefore has spoken the truth
From Pensées
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I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter.
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I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter."

(Letter 16, 1657)
From The Provincial Letters
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I made this [letter] very long, because I did not have the leisure to make it shorter.
From The Provincial Letters
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To make light of philosophy is to be a true philosopher.
From Pensées
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Each man is everything to himself, for with his death everything is dead for him. That is why each of us thinks he is everything to everyone. We must not judge nature by ourselves, but by its own standards.
From Pensées
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If we submit everything to reason our religion will be left with nothing mysterious or supernatural. If we offend the principles of reason our religion will be absurd and ridiculous . . . There are two equally dangerous extremes: to exclude reason, to admit nothing but reason.
From Pensées
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And if one loves me for my judgement, memory, he does not love me, for I can lose these qualities without losing myself. Where, then, is this Ego, if it be neither in the body nor in the soul? And how love the body or the soul, except for these qualities which do not constitute me, since they are perishable? For it is impossible and would be unjust to love the soul of a person in the abstract and whatever qualities might be therein. We never, then, love a person, but only qualities.
Let us, then, jeer no more at those who are honoured on account of rank and office; for we love a person only on account of borrowed qualities.
From Pensées
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Being unable to cure death, wretchedness and ignorance, men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things.
From Pensées
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Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed.
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Noble deeds that are concealed are most esteemed.
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To ridicule philosophy is really to philosophize.
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If our state were really happy, we should not need to take our minds off it in order to make ourselves happy.
From Pensées
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Nie betrieben die Menschen das Böse so umfassend und freudig wie aus religiöser Überzeugung.
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Δύο υπερβολές : ν' αποκλείουμε το Λόγο, και να μη δεχόμαστε παρά μόνο το Λόγο.
From Pensées
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When I see the blind and wretched state of men, when I survey the whole universe in its deadness, and man left to himself with no light, as though lost in this corner of the universe without knowing who put him there, what he has to do, or what will become of him when he dies, incapable of knowing anything, I am moved to terror, like a man transported in his sleep to some terrifying desert island, who wakes up quite lost, with no means of escape. Then I marvel that so wretched a state does not drive people to despair.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
No religion except ours has taught that man is born in sin; none of the philosophical sects has admitted it; none therefore has spoken the truth
From Pensées
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I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter."

(Letter 16, 1657)
From The Provincial Letters
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I made this [letter] very long, because I did not have the leisure to make it shorter.
From The Provincial Letters
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To make light of philosophy is to be a true philosopher.
From Pensées
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Each man is everything to himself, for with his death everything is dead for him. That is why each of us thinks he is everything to everyone. We must not judge nature by ourselves, but by its own standards.
From Pensées
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If we submit everything to reason our religion will be left with nothing mysterious or supernatural. If we offend the principles of reason our religion will be absurd and ridiculous . . . There are two equally dangerous extremes: to exclude reason, to admit nothing but reason.
From Pensées
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And if one loves me for my judgement, memory, he does not love me, for I can lose these qualities without losing myself. Where, then, is this Ego, if it be neither in the body nor in the soul? And how love the body or the soul, except for these qualities which do not constitute me, since they are perishable? For it is impossible and would be unjust to love the soul of a person in the abstract and whatever qualities might be therein. We never, then, love a person, but only qualities.
Let us, then, jeer no more at those who are honoured on account of rank and office; for we love a person only on account of borrowed qualities.
From Pensées
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Being unable to cure death, wretchedness and ignorance, men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things.
From Pensées
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Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Noble deeds that are concealed are most esteemed.
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To ridicule philosophy is really to philosophize.
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If our state were really happy, we should not need to take our minds off it in order to make ourselves happy.
From Pensées
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