5 Aphorisms from Pascal’s ‘Pensées’

In these timeless aphorisms, one of the modern era’s most brilliant minds articulates the nature of faith, reason, and much more.

Rodin's "The Thinker" in the Rodin Museum in Paris. Public Domain

“The most eloquent book in French prose” is how American historian William Durant described Blaise Pascal’s “Pensées.” Pascal (1623–1662) conceived the work as a defense of Christianity but died before completing it. He left behind copious notes, which, when first published as a book in 1670, gained popularity as thought-provoking musings on the spiritual life writ large. 

A portrait of Pascal by an unknown artist. Public Domain