History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 483 Between Infinity and the Void: Blaise Pascal
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Dec 28, 2025 Explore the fascinating duality of Blaise Pascal as a leading scientist and devout thinker. Discover his life-changing mystical experience in 1654 that shifted his focus from science to religion. Dive into his groundbreaking experiments on vacuums and fluid pressure, as well as his keen skepticism about pure reason. Unpack his poignant views on human existence, boredom, and the search for meaning. Finally, get a taste of his famous Wager, a compelling argument inviting belief in God for infinite rewards.
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Conversion And The Pensées
- Pascal had a mystical experience on November 23, 1654, and kept a written memorial thereafter.
- This event led him to abandon much scientific work and write the Pensées to bring readers to Christian faith.
Empirical Proof Of Vacuum
- Pascal used empirical experiments to argue for the existence of vacuum and atmospheric pressure.
- He combined hands-on tests with principled reasoning to establish barometric science.
Principles Over Faulty Experiments
- Pascal valued principles and experiments, but trusted principles more when experiments failed.
- He treated experiments as masters yet would blame instruments, not theory, for anomalous results.
