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A Companion to Pascal -

A Companion to Pascal

Yuval Avnur, Roger Ariew (Herausgeber)

Buch | Hardcover
576 Seiten
2026
Wiley-Blackwell (Verlag)
9781394160600 (ISBN)
CHF 258,35 inkl. MwSt
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An interdisciplinary exploration of Pascal's philosophy across theology, science, and political thought

Blaise Pascal has emerged as a central figure in early modern thought whose legacy transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. A Companion to Pascal addresses the growing scholarly need for an integrated perspective on his philosophy, bringing together essays by leading scholars that contextualize, analyze, and extend Pascal's work. It offers a wide-ranging and in-depth examination of Pascal's multifaceted intellectual contributions that enables readers to progressively build and apply knowledge across the disciplines Pascal influenced, ranging from theology and mathematics to epistemology and political philosophy.

The Companion opens by situating Pascal within his intellectual milieu—his interactions with Augustinian theology, his responses to Montaigne and Descartes, and his involvement with the Port-Royal community. Parts II and III move into Pascal's technical contributions, including his foundational role in probability and physics and his unique epistemological stance. Subsequent sections examine Pascal's rhetorical strategies and religious commitments alongside his political and ethical views. The final part assesses Pascal's enduring influence, tracing his impact through figures such as Søren Kierkegaard, William James, and Pierre Duhem.

A vital resource for those seeking an understanding of Pascal's philosophical outlook and enduring legacy, A Companion to Pascal:



Presents a unique interdisciplinary approach to Pascal that spans philosophy, theology, science, literature, and political thought
Offers new perspectives on Pascal's engagement with Descartes, Montaigne, and Augustine
Explores lesser-known dimensions of Pascal's work, such as his influence on phenomenology and Marxist theory
Analyzes the philosophical implications of Pascal's scientific and mathematical innovations
Includes focused chapters on Pascal's Wager, logic, epistemology, and his views on grace and predestination

With a comprehensive structure that allows both thematic and chronological exploration of Pascal's thought, A Companion to Pascal is ideal for advanced students and scholars in philosophy, theology, history of science, and French literature. It is particularly valuable for university-level courses in Early Modern Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, and Intellectual History, and serves as an essential reference for academics, educators, and interdisciplinary researchers.

YUVAL AVNUR is Professor of Philosophy at Scripps College, Claremont. His research focuses on epistemology and early modern philosophy, with a particular interest in skepticism and religion. Avnur has published widely on these issues, and is author of The Skeptic and the Veridicalist and Why Read Pascal Today? ROGER ARIEW is Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Florida. A leading scholar of Descartes and Cartesianism, Ariew is the author of Descartes Among the Scholastics and Descartes and the First Cartesians, among other works.

Notes on Contributors vii

Introduction to The Blackwell Companion to Pascal 1
Roger Ariew and Yuval Avnur

Part I The Intellectual Context 11

1 Pascal, Life, and Works 13
Daniel Collette

2 The Augustinian Model: The True Religion 33
Vincent Carraud and Yoen Qian- Laurent

3 Pascal and Montaigne: Reading, Interpreting, and Using 55
Alberto Frigo

4 Pascal as a Reader of Descartes 72
Dan Arbib

5 Pascal(s), Arnauld(s), and Port- Royal(s) 93
Eric Stencil

6 The Theological Context for Pascal’s Wager 113
Roger Ariew

Part II Mathematics and Natural Philosophy 135

7 Pascal’s Mathematics 137
Sébastien Maronne

8 Pascal’s “Physics” 177
Aaron Spink Copyrighted Material

9 Pascal’s Philosophy of Science 192
Sophie Roux

Part III Logic, Epistemology, and Metaphysics 211

10 Pascal and the Port- Royal Logic: The Making of a Pascal Logician 213
Élodie Cassan

11 The Geometric Mind 236
Gilles Olivo

12 Pascal’s Cordate Skepticism 252
Yuval Avnur

13 Knowledge and Belief in Pascal’s Philosophy 269
Yoen Qian-Laurent

14 Pascal on Mind and Free Will 299
William Wood

Part IV Literary Style, Religion, Ethics, and Political Philosophy 317

15 Pascal and Poetry 319
Tony Gheeraert

16 Pascal on Divine Hiddenness 340
John L. Schellenberg

17 Grace and Predestination According to Pascal: The Truth of Saint Augustine’s Followers “Holds the Middle” Between Two Contrary Errors 351
Sylvain Josset

18 Ethics and Casuistry: The Ethics of Debate in Pascal’s Provincial Letters 367
Syliane Malinowski- Charles and Marc André Bernier

19 The Provincial Letters 381
Emma Gilby

20 Pascal’s Political Philosophy 397
Ryan Patrick Hanley

Part V Legacy 413

21 Pascal, Inc.: Jacqueline Pascal and Gilberte Pascal- Périer 415
Daniel Collette

22 From Pascal to Malebranche: An Ambiguous Legacy 426
Madeleine Ropars

23 Moralizing the Wager: Pascal’s Wager, Kant’s Moral Argument, and Clifford’s Principle 442
Lawrence Pasternack

24 Kierkegaard 455
Lydia Amir

25 Pascal and William James 479
Jeffrey Jordan

26 Pierre Duhem’s Pascalian Philosophy of Science 494
Roger Ariew

27 Marxists on Pascal: Henri Lefebvre and Lucien Goldmann 507
Michael Moriarty

28 Pascal in the Light of the Phenomenology of Max Scheler and Martin Heidegger 519
Sylvain Josset

29 Pascalian Expectations and Explorations 532
Alan Hájek and Elizabeth Jackson

Index 551

Erscheinungsdatum
Reihe/Serie Blackwell Companions to Philosophy
Sprache englisch
Themenwelt Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie
Sozialwissenschaften
ISBN-13 9781394160600 / 9781394160600
Zustand Neuware
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