Cugetări

“We are no longer dealing, as in the case of St. Augustine, with a precursor of Existentialism. Pascal is an existentialist.” (William Barrett, Irrational Man, p. 111) This is why I read/ studied this book. Barrett is right: many Existentialist themes are approached by Pascal (for instance death, authenticity, possible absurdity of faith - the great thesis of Kierkegaard's FT). However, his fanaticism, intolerance (uninspired dismissals of Judaism and Islam) and especially the insistance of the humiliation and servitude of the human being in front of God do not appeal to me.