Pascal’s Paradoxical View of the Human Being

Tamer Yıldırım

Makale detayları

Pascal’s Paradoxical View of the Human Being

Yazarlar:

Tamer Yıldırım

Yayıncı:

Sakarya University

Ana Başlıklar:

17. Yüzyıl Felsefesi

Dergi:

Sakarya Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.25 Issue 48, pp.317-330

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305349

pISSN:

2146-9806

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 In what can only be described as a short life of 39 years, Blaise Pascal achieved more than most people could hope to accomplish in two lifetimes. He collected his ideas on psychology and religion after a mystical experience, but he died without being able to compile them into a book. After this experience, Pascal chose to be a polemicist, a pedagogue, and a preacher rather than a philosopher, mathematician, or scientist. Not only did his Thoughts Pensees bring new perspectives to the Christian religion, but it is also considered among the best of French literature. One of the central strategies of the Thoughts was to drive the unbeliever to a state of despair and confusion that would lead him to God and faith, using the contradictory philosophies of skepticism and stoicism personified by Montaigne on the one hand and Epictetus on the other. Hence, some of the Thoughts bear a skeptical quality, while others have the spirit of dogmatic stoicism. In fact, Pascal seeks to accommodate both poles. He exalts faith and states that the heart has reasons unknown to the intellect while denigrating the intellect and condemning rational philosophy. Pascal is one of the authors who can and should be re-examined by people in every generation. In his writings, he tries to elucidate man and mans condition in the world, his place in intellectual history and his conceptions of culture and education, the further development of his view of human nature in the light of mans relationship with God, and his famous theory of Pascals Wager and his insights into the heart. Reflecting on ones existence in the world and having the right attitude towards it is central to every persons life.

 In what can only be described as a short life of 39 years, Blaise Pascal achieved more than most people could hope to accomplish in two lifetimes. He collected his ideas on psychology and religion after a mystical experience, but he died without being able to compile them into a book. After this experience, Pascal chose to be a polemicist, a pedagogue, and a preacher rather than a philosopher, mathematician, or scientist. Not only did his Thoughts Pensees bring new perspectives to the Christian religion, but it is also considered among the best of French literature. One of the central strategies of the Thoughts was to drive the unbeliever to a state of despair and confusion that would lead him to God and faith, using the contradictory philosophies of skepticism and stoicism personified by Montaigne on the one hand and Epictetus on the other. Hence, some of the Thoughts bear a skeptical quality, while others have the spirit of dogmatic stoicism. In fact, Pascal seeks to accommodate both poles. He exalts faith and states that the heart has reasons unknown to the intellect while denigrating the intellect and condemning rational philosophy. Pascal is one of the authors who can and should be re-examined by people in every generation. In his writings, he tries to elucidate man and mans condition in the world, his place in intellectual history and his conceptions of culture and education, the further development of his view of human nature in the light of mans relationship with God, and his famous theory of Pascals Wager and his insights into the heart. Reflecting on ones existence in the world and having the right attitude towards it is central to every persons life.

 In what can only be described as a short life of 39 years, Blaise Pascal achieved more than most people could hope to accomplish in two lifetimes. He collected his ideas on psychology and religion after a mystical experience, but he died without being able to compile them into a book. After this experience, Pascal chose to be a polemicist, a pedagogue, and a preacher rather than a philosopher, mathematician, or scientist. Not only did his Thoughts Pensees bring new perspectives to the Christian religion, but it is also considered among the best of French literature. One of the central strategies of the Thoughts was to drive the unbeliever to a state of despair and confusion that would lead him to God and faith, using the contradictory philosophies of skepticism and stoicism personified by Montaigne on the one hand and Epictetus on the other. Hence, some of the Thoughts bear a skeptical quality, while others have the spirit of dogmatic stoicism. In fact, Pascal seeks to accommodate both poles. He exalts faith and states that the heart has reasons unknown to the intellect while denigrating the intellect and condemning rational philosophy. Pascal is one of the authors who can and should be re-examined by people in every generation. In his writings, he tries to elucidate man and mans condition in the world, his place in intellectual history and his conceptions of culture and education, the further development of his view of human nature in the light of mans relationship with God, and his famous theory of Pascals Wager and his insights into the heart. Reflecting on ones existence in the world and having the right attitude towards it is central to every persons life.

 Blaise Pascal 1623-1662, 39 yıllık kısa olarak nitelendirebileceğimiz yaşamında çoğu insanın iki yaşamda ulaşmayı umabileceğinden fazlasını başardı. Yaşadığı mistik bir deneyimden sonra, psikoloji ve din üzerine düşüncelerini topladı, ancak bu düşüncelerini bir kitap haline getiremeden öldü. Onun Düşünceler adlı eseri yalnızca Hristiyan dinine yeni bakış açıları getirmekle kalmadı, aynı zamanda Fransız edebiyatının en iyileri arasında değerlendirildi. Düşüncelerin ana stratejilerinden biri, bir yanda Montaigne, diğer yanda Epiktetosun kişiselleştirdiği çelişkili şüphecilik ve stoacılık felsefelerini kullanarak, inanmayan kişiyi Tanrıya, imana götürecek bir çaresizlik ve kafa karışıklığına sürüklemekti. Dolayısıyla Düşüncelerin bir kısmı şüpheci bir niteliği kendinde bulundururken, bir kısmı da dogmacı stoacılığın ruhuna sahiptir. Aslında Pascal her iki ucu da bağdaştırmaya çalışır. Bunu aklı küçümseyip akılcı felsefeyi kınarken, inancı yüceltip ve kalbin, aklın bilmediği sebeplere sahip olduğunu belirterek yapar. O, eserlerinde insanı ve insanın dünyadaki durumunu, entelektüel tarihteki yerini ve kültür ve eğitim anlayışlarını, insanın Tanrı ile ilişkisi ışığında insan doğasına ilişkin görüşünün daha da geliştirilmesini ve ünlü bahis teorisi ve kalbe dair içgörülerini açıklamaya çalışır. Dünyadaki varlığını düşünmesi ve ona karşı doğru bir tavra sahip olması her kişinin yaşamının merkezinde bulunan bir durumdur. Makalemizde Pascalın insanın inanması ve acizliğinin nasıl paradoksal bir nitelikte olduğunu, insanın özgürlüğünü nasıl elinden alıp değersizleştirdiğini sunmaya çalışacağız.

Makale detayları

Pascal’s Paradoxical View of the Human Being

Yazarlar:

Tamer Yıldırım

Yayıncı:

Sakarya University

Ana Başlıklar:

17. Yüzyıl Felsefesi

Dergi:

Sakarya Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.25 Issue 48, pp.317-330

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305349

pISSN:

2146-9806

History of Philosophy

Pascal

Grace

Pensées

Wretchedness

HumanFelsefe Tarihi

Pascal

İnayet

Düşünceler

Sefillik

İnsan

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Tamer Yıldırım

Yayıncı: Sakarya University

Ana Başlıklar: 17. Yüzyıl Felsefesi

Dergi: Sakarya Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.25 Issue 48, pp.317-330

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 12/2023

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001305349

pISSN: 2146-9806

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Tamer Yıldırım

Yayıncı:

Sakarya University

Ana Başlıklar:

17. Yüzyıl Felsefesi

Dergi:

Sakarya Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.25 Issue 48, pp.317-330

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305349

pISSN:

2146-9806