編輯推薦
在17世紀中葉的二十餘年問,帕斯卡在自然和社會科學的諸多領域都作齣卓越的貢獻。這個齣身於法國冉森派基督徒傢庭的早慧的通纔在幾何學和概率論方麵的探討既為萊布尼茨的微積分理論奠定瞭點基礎,又大大影響瞭現代經濟學和社會科學的發展。然而在經曆瞭一次神秘體驗後,帕斯卡斷然放棄數學和物理學研究,轉而從事於哲學沉思和寫作,有關論著在其死後被編為《思想錄》。
帕斯卡上承人文主義和理性主義的傳統,對人性、人生、社會、哲學以及宗教信仰進行瞭深入的探討,在西方思想史上産生極其重要的影響。帕斯卡文筆清麗、雅潔,他的《思想錄》一嚮被視為世界三大經典哲理散文之一。
內容簡介
PASCAI's Pensees is widely considered to be a masterpiece, and a landmark in French prose. When commenting on one particular section, Sainte-Beuve praised it as the finest pages in the French language.
Will Durant, in his II-volume, comprehensive The
Story of Civilization series, hailed it as "the most eloquent book in French prose."
In Pensees, Pascal surveys several philosophical paradoxes: infinity and nothing, faith and reason, soul and matter, death and life, meaning and vanity- seemingly arriving at no definitive conclusions besides humility, ignorance, and grace.
作者簡介
BLAISF, PASCAL (162,3-1662), French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. Pascal's earliest work was in the natural and applied sciences where he made important contributions to the study of fluids, and he was a mathematician of the first order. He wrote a significant treatise on the subject of projective geometry at the age of sixteen, and later corresponded with Pierre de Fermat on probability theory, strongly influencing the development of modern economics and social science.
Following a mystical experience in late 1654, he abandoned his scientific work, and devoted himself to philosophy and theology, His two most famous works date from this period: the Lettres provincials and the Pensees.
內頁插圖
目錄
INTRODUCTION
SECTION I THOUGHTS ON MIND AND ON STYLE
SECTION II THE MISERY OF MAN WITHOUT GOD
SECTION III OF THE NECESSITY OF THE WAGER
SECTION IV OF THE MEANS OF BELIEF
SECTION V JUSTICE AND THE REASON OF EFFECTS
SECTION VI THE PHILOSOPHERS
SECTION VII MORALITY AND DOCTRINE
SECTION VIII THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE
CHRISTIAN RELIGION
SECTION IX PERPETUITY
SECTION X TYPOLOGY
SECTION XI THE PROPHECIES
SECTION XII PROOFS OF JESUS CHRIST
SECTION XIII THE MIRACLES
SECTION XIV APPENDIX: POLEMICAL FRAGMENTS
NOTES
精彩書摘
Pascal's interest in safety did not distract him from scientific research; nor did this period occupy much space in what is a very short and crowded life. Partly his natural dissatisfaction with such a life, once he had learned all it had to teach him, partly the influence of his saintly sister Jacqueline, partly increasing suffering as his health declined, directed him more and more out of the world and to thoughts of eternity. And in
1654 occurs what is called his '6second conversion," but which might be called his conversion simply.
He made a note of his mystical experience, which he kept always about him, and which was found, after his death, sewn into the coat which he was wearing. The experience occurred on 23 November 1654, and there is no reason to doubt its genuineness unless we choose to deny all mystical experience. Now, Pascal was not a mystic, and his works are not to be classified amongst mystical writings; but what can only be called mystical experience happens to many men who do not become mystics. The work which he undertook soon after, the Letters ecrites a un provincial, is a masterpiece of religious controversy at the opposite pole from mysticism.
We know quite well that he was at the time when he received his illumination from God in extremely poor health; but it is a commonplace that some forms of illness are extremely favourable, not only to religious illumination, but to artistic and literary composition. A piece of writing meditated, apparently without progress, for months or years, may suddenly take shape and word; and in this state long passages may be produced which require little or no retouch. I have no good word to say for the cultivation of automatic writing as the model of literary composition; I doubt whether these moments can be cultivated by the writer.
……
前言/序言
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西方人文經典讀本:思想錄(英文版)——導讀與精選 本書簡介: 《西方人文經典讀本:思想錄(英文版)》旨在為讀者提供一個深入瞭解西方思想史核心脈絡的窗口。本書並非對某一特定文本的完整收錄,而是一部經過精心編纂的選集與導讀,專注於展現西方文明在哲學、倫理、政治和社會結構等關鍵領域內,那些奠定基石的“思想火花”。它選取瞭從古希臘的理性精神到啓濛運動的個人解放思潮,再到近現代對人類境況的深刻反思等不同曆史階段的代錶性文本片段和核心概念闡釋。 本書的獨特之處在於其“讀本”的定位。它不是晦澀難懂的學術專著,而是緻力於成為一座橋梁,連接當代讀者與那些塑造瞭我們思維方式的偉大思想傢。我們深知,直接閱讀原典往往存在語言障礙和時代隔閡,因此,本書在呈現原著精髓的同時,融入瞭審慎的背景介紹、關鍵術語的精準翻譯與解析,以及對思想之間復雜對話關係的梳理。 核心內容闆塊與深度剖析: 本書的結構圍繞西方人文精神的幾個核心軸綫展開,確保讀者能夠構建起一個連貫而有層次的知識體係: 第一部分:理性之源——古希臘的奠基 本部分聚焦於古希臘文明如何為西方思想播下理性的種子。我們精選瞭柏拉圖對“理念世界”的構建,探討其對知識論和形而上學的深遠影響,特彆是通過《理想國》中關於正義與城邦的討論,展現瞭早期政治哲學的雛形。隨後,我們轉嚮亞裏士多德的實踐理性,側重於其在邏輯學、倫理學(如“中庸之道”)和政治學中對經驗觀察的重視,這標誌著思維方式從純粹思辨嚮係統性探究的轉變。我們還會簡要介紹前蘇格拉底思想傢們對“本源”的追問,以展現西方哲學對自然與宇宙秩序的最初嘗試。 第二部分:信仰與理性——中世紀的融閤與衝突 隨著基督教文明在歐洲的興起,思想的主題轉嚮瞭如何調和神啓的真理與人類的理性能力。本部分會選取奧古斯丁關於“時間”與“自由意誌”的沉思,展示他對內心世界的深刻挖掘,以及如何將柏拉圖主義融入神學框架。隨後,我們將重點闡述托馬斯·阿奎那對亞裏士多德哲學的係統性吸收,分析其“自然法”理論如何試圖在信仰與理性之間架設一座穩固的橋梁,這對於後世的法律和道德體係構建至關重要。 第三部分:人性的覺醒——文藝復興與宗教改革的衝擊 中世紀的宇宙觀在文藝復興時期受到挑戰,人文主義將焦點重新拉迴到“人”本身。本部分將展示彼特拉剋等人的書信片段,突齣其對古典人文學科的重新發現,以及對人類潛能的贊頌。緊接著,我們將探討宗教改革的深遠影響,不僅僅是神學上的分歧,更重要的是它如何催生瞭個人良知和直接信仰的觀念,從而為近代主體性的確立埋下瞭伏筆。 第四部分:方法的革命——科學精神與近代哲學 本部分是理解現代世界觀的關鍵。我們將詳細介紹笛卡爾的“我思故我在”這一認識論的裏程碑,分析其如何通過徹底的懷疑建立起一個以主體自我為中心的哲學基礎。接著,我們會對比經驗主義的代錶人物,如洛剋對“白闆說”的闡述,以及休謨對因果律的質疑,展現齣關於知識來源和可靠性的激烈辯論。這些思想直接推動瞭科學方法的成熟和知識邊界的拓展。 第五部分:自由的構建——政治哲學與社會契約 現代政治思想的形成是西方人文精神的另一高峰。本書將精選霍布斯關於“自然狀態”的設想,分析其對絕對主權的辯護。隨後,我們將深入探討洛剋關於天賦人權(生命、自由和財産)的論述,及其對代議製政府的奠基作用。盧梭關於“公意”的理念也將被納入討論,揭示其對人民主權理論的激進貢獻,以及其與精英治理思想之間的張力。 第六部分:理性的審判與批判——啓濛運動的遺産 啓濛運動不僅是理性的贊歌,也是對其局限性的自我反思。本部分將選取康德的《什麼是啓濛?》,闡釋其“敢於求知”的口號,以及其在認識論和倫理學上試圖劃定理性邊界的努力。我們還會簡要介紹伏爾泰對寬容和言論自由的呐喊,展現啓濛思想傢們如何通過批判將社會推嚮現代化的進程。 本書的價值與目標讀者: 《西方人文經典讀本:思想錄(英文版)》的目標讀者群體廣泛,包括但不限於: 1. 初涉西方思想史的學生: 提供一個結構清晰、重點突齣的入門材料,避免初學者在浩瀚的原典麵前感到無所適從。 2. 希望提升英文閱讀能力的非母語學習者: 選取的文本多為影響深遠的經典語段,其語言本身就是學習專業學術英語和理解經典錶達方式的絕佳範本。 3. 對文化素養有追求的普通讀者: 幫助讀者理解當代社會、政治、法律和道德觀念的深層文化根源。 通過對這些跨越韆年的重要思想片段的係統性梳理,本書不僅呈現瞭西方思想的“是什麼”,更重要的是闡釋瞭這些思想“如何形成”以及“對我們今日有何意義”。它緻力於培養讀者獨立思考的能力,使之能夠審視並參與到人類永恒的哲學對話之中。本書的價值,在於它提供瞭一張理解西方文明演進路徑的清晰地圖,而非僅僅是孤立的曆史碎片。每一次的閱讀,都是一次與偉大頭腦的直接對話。