What it Means to be a Thinking Reed :: Essays Papers

What it pith to be a Thinking ReedThe quotation above, taken from papas Penses, seems disparaging of evidence. Reason, the cornerstone of the Enlightenment and that which has traditionally been held as the key attribute that differentiates humans from beasts, is here said to be limited and cut back in its powers. Instead of being able to grasp the truth nigh the universe in its entirety, instead of having that Cartesian hope where one steadfastly and immovable (Descartes, p.63) point is established and a systematic understanding of everything takes shape, reason is lowered and its powers are diminished. In many ways the heart, an ambiguous and shady concept that possesses knowledge that reason can never hope to possess, takes the redact of reason. From this quotation one might be tempted to conclude that the heart is interminably more important than reason. Such a conclusion is far from the mark. atomic number 91 ultimately believes that when faced with the challenge of tr ying to live in the dress hat possible way, people desperately need both reason and the heart. Exploring how devil quotations taken together define the mind and the heart and the relationship they develop with one another portrays that the mind and the heart must work together to guide human beings on their quest for how to live best. The cardinal quotations that volition commence the investigation are as sticksPrinciples are felt, propositions proved, and both with conclusion though by different means. (p.28)The heart has its order, the mind has its induce, which uses principles and demonstrations. (p.94)Before beholding the relationship between the heart and the mind that is implicit in these two quotations, one must frontmost understand what Pascal means by the order of the mind. According to the two quotations the minds order includes utilize Principles and demonstrations to prove propositions with certainty. The word demonstration denotes a rigorous, methodical pro cedure that procures certitude. analytical proofs are excellent examples of demonstrations since they utilize sound, truth-preserving laws to deductively move from premises to certain conclusions that follow from those premises. Demonstration, though, is only half of what Pascal believes comprises the order of the mind the mind has its own order, which uses principles and demonstrations (p.94). The mind needs both principles and demonstrations in order to function, and logical proofs show this to be true. The first requirement for a logical proof is an presumption before the truth-preserving laws of logic can be executed, an assumption must first be stated.