I get the impression that a more-political-than-expected Pascal seems to emerge from the Manent book? Is that correct? Most scholars comment on his striking apolitical-ness. Fun and rich discussion, but I kept waiting for that topic/problem...
Your impression is correct, but I would phrase things differently. Pierre, with a handful of exceptions, doesn’t present ‘his Pascal’ over against others. So he doesn’t present a political Pascal against apolitical ones. He ‘just’ presents Pascal’s ‘political thinking’ (Pierre’s phrase) by citing and commenting on well-known Pascalian texts.
Merci, mon ami.
I get the impression that a more-political-than-expected Pascal seems to emerge from the Manent book? Is that correct? Most scholars comment on his striking apolitical-ness. Fun and rich discussion, but I kept waiting for that topic/problem...
Your impression is correct, but I would phrase things differently. Pierre, with a handful of exceptions, doesn’t present ‘his Pascal’ over against others. So he doesn’t present a political Pascal against apolitical ones. He ‘just’ presents Pascal’s ‘political thinking’ (Pierre’s phrase) by citing and commenting on well-known Pascalian texts.
It's an important question -- how important are the 3 discourses on the condition of the great.
De rien!