Blaise Pascal

For much of his life Pascal (1623-62) worked on a magnum opus which was never published in its intended form. Instead, he left a mass of fragments, some of them meant as notes for the Apologie. These were to become known as the Pensées, and they occupy a crucial place in Western philosophy and religious writing. Pascal''s general intention was to confound scepticism about metaphysical questions. Some of the Pensées are fully developed literary reflections on the human condition,, some contradict others, and some remain jottings whose meaning will never be clear. The most important are among the most powerful aphorisms about human experience and behaviour ever written in any language. This translation is the only one based on the Pensées as Pascal left them. It includes the principal dossiers classified by Pascal, as well as the essential portion of the important Writings on Grace. A detailed thematic index gives access to Pascal''s areas of concern, while the selection of texts and the introduction help to show why Pascal changed the plan of his projected work before abandoning the book he might have written. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Univerzálny génius Blaise Pascal (1623 1662) je jedným z najvýznamnejších matematikov a fyzikov v histórii ľudstva a zároveň patrí medzi najpoprednejšie postavy dejín filozofie. V Myšlienkach sa zrkadlí mnohovrstvové myslenie jeho veľkého ducha. Zaoberá sa v nich ľudským vnímaním, poznávaním, vedomím, dušou, mysľou, pocitmi, vierou, ale aj politikou. Zvažuje, analyzuje, reflektuje a kladie otázky. Niečo vysvetlí, iné ostáva len načrtnuté Tiež sa v nich dozvieme na čo Pascal na prahu novoveku prišiel a čo dôkladne premyslel: Človek je viac ako poznanie, moc, majetok áno, viac ako všetko na svete. Pascal vie, že v ľudskom srdci je stopa, ktorú sledovať je nanajvýš rozumné.... A tak čítanie Pascalových Myšlienok umožní aj takému čitateľovi, ktorý sa nezaujíma o otáz­ky náboženstva a teológie, inšpirovať sa jeho múdrosťou, hľadaním zmyslu života a láskou k blížnemu. Dielo Myšlienky boli ucelene vydané až po Pascalovej smrti. A od prvého vydania v roku 1670 vo Francúzsku patrí toto dielo ku klenotom svetovej literatúry. Na Slovensku vychádza v treťom vydaní.