Pascal Powerpoint
Beda College
Spring Semester 2015
The Life and Thought of
Blaise Pascal
French Scientist, Mathematician, Inventor, Theologian
(1623-1662)
We will look at . . .
I. A Short Biography of
Blaise Pascal
(1623-1662)
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II. Pascal’s contribution
to
science
and
mathematics
A short biography of Blaise Pascal
An overview of his contribution to science and mathematics
An overview of his philosophical / theological writings
His thoughts on a few theological topics
Pascal’s disagreement with Descartes’ rationalism
Born in Clermont, France, June 19, 1623
Lost his mother when he was only 3
His father was a magistrate and himself a brilliant man
Early education was from his father, who insisted that Blaise learn only
Latin and Greek so as to have a firm foundation. Mathematics was seen
as an amusement and not to be indulged in until later
Blaise turned out to be a brilliant scientist and mathematician
Contribution to science
Hydrostatics
Pascal’s law, the hydraulic press
Established that a vacuum exists.
Showed the relationship between
altitude and atmospheric pressure.
The barometer and weather
Pascal powerpoint slides- 2
II. Pascal’s contribution Inventions
to
science
and The Pascaline or a mechanical calculator, a precursor to the modern computer
mathematics, cont.
II. Pascal’s contribution
to
science
and
mathematics, cont.
Contribution to mathematics
Conic sections
Pascal’s triangle
II. Pascal’s contribution Contribution to mathematics
to
science
and
 Was the first to quantify chance and so is called the father of probability
mathematics, cont.
theory
o estimating insurance premiums
o risk analysis
o quality control in manufacture
o estimating demand in business
o designing casinos
 Probability theory has its applications in modern science
III. An overview of At an early stage in Pascal’s life he was influenced by Jansenists, whose 5
Pascal’s
work
in propositions were condemned as heretical by Pope Innocent X in 1653
philosophy
and
theology
Pascal defended many of the Jansenist doctrines in his Provincial Letters
Pascal powerpoint slides- 3
However, he later vehemently declared himself to be a Catholic and after a
near death incident and some kind of a mystical experience, devoted himself
to Catholic apologetics
He wrote down his thoughts on God and religion and this collection of writings
has been compiled into his famous Les Pensees, which means Thoughts
IV. Some interesting Pascal’s whole apologetics in the Pensees is to start with human misery as the
thoughts from Pensees symptom of the problem. He speaks of:
The misery of man without God and
The happiness of man with God
IV. Some interesting On the amusements and diversions people engage in:
thoughts
from “When I have occasionally set myself to consider the different distractions of
Pensees, cont.
men, the pains and perils to which they expose themselves at court or in war,
whence arise so many quarrels, passions, bold and often evil ventures, I have
discovered that all the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, that
they cannot sit quietly in their own chamber.”
“… Royalty is the finest position in the world. . . [Yet even a king] if he be
without diversion, is more unhappy than the least of his subjects.”
IV. Some interesting Pascal’s wager:
thoughts
from There may be a God or there may not. But it is better to believe in God. If we
Pensees, cont.
believe in God we have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, because if
there is a God and we do not believe in him, we have everything to lose.
Comments:
This argument is targeted at skeptics in search of the truth. It is not valid for
people who have no interest in the matter. On the other hand, believers do not
need this argument.
This wager applies only to the true faith. It makes no sense when the notion of
God is wrong.
IV. Some interesting “The heart has its reasons which the reason does not know.”
thoughts
from
Pensees, cont.
Comments:
Here ‘heart’ does not mean feelings or emotions.
What heart means here is an immediate intellectual intuition.
It is a kind of deep reason or understanding.
We know not only through our reason, but also through our heart.
It is through the heart that we know first principles.
How do you know the law of non-contradiction? How do you know that
something can’t come into existence for no reason at all? These things cannot
be proved by logic. Any proof presupposes such principles.
V.
Pascal’s Pascal believed that reason alone was not enough for arriving at the truth.
disagreement
with He disagreed with Descartes when Descartes believed only in reason.
Descartes’ rationalism
Even trusting the faculty of reason is an act of faith.
This faculty of reason is from God.
This does not mean that Pascal did not believe in reason.
He foresaw the limitations of reason and believed that intuition (faith) and
reason had necessarily to operate in tandem.
Perhaps he foresaw the culture of doubt that would creep in, if the only faculty
one had in searching for the truth is reason.