Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.
Blaise PascalRead
We make an idol of truth itself; for truth apart from charity is not God, but His image and idol, which we must neither love nor worship.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Truth should be pursued within the context of love and charity, rather than idolized as an absolute.
In this quote, Blaise Pascal emphasizes that truth, when isolated from love and charity, becomes a mere representation or idol rather than a reflection of the divine. He argues that an overemphasis on truth, divorced from compassion, leads to idolatry, where one may focus on the idea of truth instead of the values that embody a true understanding of God and humanity.
Themes
TruthCharityLoveWisdomIdolatry
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical discussion about the nature of truth and morality.
More from Blaise Pascal
All quotes βIf 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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