Within Reason #149 Blaise Pascal: Philosopher, Mathematician, Genius - Graham Tomlin
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Mar 25, 2026 Graham Tomlin, British theologian, author and former bishop, guides us through Blaise Pascal’s strange brilliance. He traces Pascal’s child prodigy feats, his scientific discoveries and invention of probability, his Jansenist spiritual turn and dramatic “Night of Fire.” Short, lively takes explore Pascal’s clash with Descartes, the wager, and why boredom shapes belief.
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Heart Versus Reason Distinction
- Pascal distinguishes knowing God by the heart from proving God by reason; the heart grasps truths like infinity or God where reason reaches limits.
- Tomlin stresses Pascal's nuanced acceptance of reason in science but not as the path to God.
Pascal And Descartes Met Uncomfortably
- Pascal and Descartes met at least twice; the meetings were frosty with Descartes offering medical advice to an ill Pascal.
- Tomlin imagines the uncomfortable exchange and notes both men's intellectual pride.
What Pascal Meant By The Heart
- "The heart has its reasons" means Pascal's le coeur is an affective instinct that apprehends basics (God, time, number) beyond rational proof.
- Tomlin warns this isn't romantic emotion but a deeper non-discursive faculty.
