“The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of”

In 1647, a meeting took place between Pascal and Rene Descartes.  Descartes, after publishing “Discourse on Method “ divided philosophers and thinkers into two different groups, they were either ‘Cartesian’s’ or they were not.  Pascal was against the Cartesian methods and did not agree with many of Descartes’ ideas. They differentiated with their ideas in physics; Pascal believed that vacuums existed and conducted experiments that seemed to bring him closer to its existence. Descartes on the other hand was doubtful. But this was not the only area that they couldn’t agree on. They both believed that a God, a perfect being that created mankind existed, but the way they chose to believe and explain their reasoning was different.

Pascal, when he reads the “Discourse on Method” doesn’t agree with the way or the depth of analysis of how Descartes explains how he proved that there must be a god. “I cannot pardon Descartes; he would have liked, in all of his philosophy, to do without God; but he couldn’t prevent himself from giving him a flick to put the world in motion; after that, he no longer has anything to do with God.” Pascal states that Descartes when thinking about god, would have liked that there be no god and doesn’t give god the credit that god deserves as Descartes only credits god (according to Pascal) by creating the universe and then leaving the idea altogether.

After reading this quote, and doing a little bit of researching, it was very strange to see this quote from Pascal. In Pascal’s Wager, it states “one loses nothing from believing in god, but stands to lose everything if one doesn’t”.  This from my perspective was a very mathematical approach (a true mathematician) rather than a religious approach of feeling (This idea was groundbreaking in probability theory and developed decision theory).  Pascal doesn’t agree with the way Descartes explains god and also by not giving god enough credit, but he himself produces a rather mathematical approach rather than one that includes faith.

Descartes tries to prove the existence of god with: “There must be as much reality in a cause as in an effect, and so, there must be as much formal reality in a cause of an idea as there is objective reality in an idea.” If there is nothing that is infinite and perfect, but still we have the idea of perfection and infinity in our minds, then god must have placed this thought in our minds.

The two philosophers have different perspectives on religion and don’t seem to agree with one another. This is was the case when the two philosophers met (Pascal was sick during this time) and they debated on physics but could not agree and the debate escalated and finally Descartes took his leave. The next day Descartes returned but not to debate about the topics at hand, but rather to take care and help Pascal. “Their views would remain opposed, but it was the supreme rationalist in his role as kindly doctor whom Pascal would later remember, and who may have been in his mind when he observed, "The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of” “.

Reference:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/when-blaise-pascal-met-rene-descartes-1337242.html