Pascal the Philosopher

Graeme Hunter

ISBN 10: 1442628359 / ISBN 13: 9781442628359

Published by University of Toronto Press, CA, 2014

About this Item

Blaise Pascal has always been appreciated as a literary giant and a religious guide, but has received only grudging recognition as a philosopher: philosophers have mistaken Pascal's harsh criticism of their discipline as a rejection of it.  But according to Graeme Hunter, Pascal's critics have simply failed to grasp his lean, but powerful conception of philosophy. This accessibly written book provides the first introduction to Pascal's philosophy as an organic whole. Hunter argues that Pascal's aim is not merely to humble philosophy, but to save it from a kind of failure to which it is prone. He lays out Pascal's development of a more promising and fruitful path for philosophical inquiry, one that responded to the scientific, religious, and political upheaval of his time. Finally, Hunter illuminates Pascal's significance for contemporary readers, allowing him to emerge as the rare philosopher who is spiritual, literary, and rigorous all at once - both a brilliant controversialist and a thinker of substance.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781442628359

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Pascal the Philosopher
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press, CA
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1442628359
• ISBN 13: 9781442628359
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 420 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Blaise Pascal has always been appreciated as a literary giant and a religious guide, but has received only grudging recognition as a philosopher: philosophers have mistaken Pascal's harsh criticism of their discipline as a rejection of it. But according to Graeme Hunter, Pascal's critics have simply failed to grasp his lean, but powerful conception of philosophy. This accessibly written book provides the first introduction to Pascal's philosophy as an organic whole.

Hunter argues that Pascal's aim is not merely to humble philosophy, but to save it from a kind of failure to which it is prone. He lays out Pascal's development of a more promising and fruitful path for philosophical inquiry, one that responded to the scientific, religious, and political upheaval of his time. Finally, Hunter illuminates Pascal's significance for contemporary readers, allowing him to emerge as the rare philosopher who is spiritual, literary, and rigorous all at once - both a brilliant controversialist and a thinker of substance.

About the Author

Graeme Hunter is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Ottawa.