Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.
Blaise PascalRead
Il n'est pas certain que tout soit incertain. (Translation: It is not certain that everything is uncertain.)
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that not everything we know is subject to doubt, challenging a purely skeptical perspective.
Blaise Pascal's quote plays with the concept of uncertainty and skepticism. It implies that while uncertainty is a common theme in human thought, one should be cautious in asserting that everything is uncertain. This invites reflection on the nature of knowledge and belief, suggesting that some things can be known with certainty despite common doubts.
Themes
UncertaintyKnowledgeSkepticismTruthBelief
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on philosophy at a university, one could quote Pascal to emphasize the limits of skepticism.
More from Blaise Pascal
All quotes →If we submit everything to reason our religion will be left with nothing mysterious or supernatural. If we offend the principles of reason our religion will be absurd and ridiculous . . . There are two equally dangerous extremes: to exclude reason, to admit nothing but reason.
Blaise PascalRead
Those are weaklings who know the truth and uphold it as long as it suits their purpose, and then abandon it.
Blaise PascalRead
Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.
Blaise PascalRead
If he exalts himself, I humble him. If he humbles himself, I exalt him. And I go on contradicting him Until he understands That he is a monster that passes all understanding.
Blaise PascalRead
What use is it to us to hear it said of a man that he has thrown off the yoke that he does not believe there is a God to watch over his actions, that he reckons himself the sole master of his behavior, and that he does not intend to give an account of it to anyone but himself?
Blaise PascalRead
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Just as Darwin discovered the law of evolution in organic nature, so Marx discovered the law of evolution in human history; he discovered the simple fact, hitherto concealed by an overgrowth of idealogy [sic], that mankind must first of all eat and drink, have shelter and clothing, before it can pursue politics, science, religion, art etc.
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