Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.
Blaise PascalRead
If they [Plato and Aristotle] wrote about politics it was as if to lay down rules for a madhouse. And if they pretended to treat it as something really important it was because they knew that the madmen they were talking to believed themselves to be kings and emperors. They humored these beliefs in order to calm down their madness with as little harm as possible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the nature of politics and the delusions of those in power, suggesting that philosophers acknowledge and navigate the madness of political belief.
Blaise Pascal reflects on the futility and absurdity of politics as perceived by the likes of Plato and Aristotle. He argues that these philosophers, while acknowledging the seriousness of political matters, approached the subject with a sense of irony, recognizing that they were dealing with individuals who hold irrational beliefs about power and authority. By humorously engaging with these delusions, they aimed to mitigate the chaos inherent in political discourse, suggesting that a certain level of acknowledgment can serve to ease madness in society.
Themes
PoliticsMadnessPowerPhilosophyBeliefs
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on political philosophy, one might quote Pascal to illustrate the absurdity in political beliefs.
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.
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Those are weaklings who know the truth and uphold it as long as it suits their purpose, and then abandon it.
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Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.
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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.
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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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