Pascal Quote: Philosophy Forums

Pascal Quote
"Man is only a reed, the weakest of nature, but he is a thinking reed"

Pascal Quote

unia
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Posted 11/01/09 - 04:10 AM: Subject: Pascal Quote	#1
Hello! I have to write an essay of that quote by Pascal: "Man is only a reed, the weakest of nature, but he is a thinking reed" and since I'm a beginner in this area, I thought I should ask here for some opinions or ideas I could use. Thanks in advance and sorry if I posted in the wrong forum area.

Dacu
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Posted 11/04/09 - 08:27 AM:	#2
As you are writing an essay, it is clear that the people you are writing it for are looking for a certain answer or answers. Which will probably not be what I am about to say. Pascal in this case I feel is perhaps wrong, in the statement "the weakest of nature". A reed is pliable, not rigid, not fixed and static. It changes according to its environment, if there are high winds the reed does not resist the reed will adapt and change. This is synonymous with human nature, we are incredibly good at adapting to a new environment. A tree which Pascal would probably consider the strongest of nature, is rigid, in high winds a tree can be blown down. Rigidity is synonymous with death. Man is only a reed, the strongest of nature, he is a thinking reed.

TempletonEsquire
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Posted 11/04/09 - 11:25 AM:	#3
It's ironic that you would ask for assistance over a quote which condemns man's auto-assimilation reflex.

Ghosthack
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Posted 11/04/09 - 01:59 PM:	#4
The quote is ambiguous out of context. It could mean that man is the measure of all things. Everything else 'is' and its nature if determinate. Man is never an 'is' but a becoming. He becomes through his interaction with the world and the world is given reality by man. Because man's 'being' is so indeterminate he is 'weak'. Because he can reflect on his own becoming he is a 'thinking' being and is 'strong'.

Wise Sage
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Posted 11/06/09 - 11:19 AM:	#5
unia wrote: Hello! I have to write an essay of that quote by Pascal: "Man is only a reed, the weakest of nature, but he is a thinking reed" and since I'm a beginner in this area, I thought I should ask here for some opinions or ideas I could use. Thanks in advance and sorry if I posted in the wrong forum area. Write this: a bold statement does not mean a right one.

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