New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-06
Literary .Wes0S and Criticism,


plain man and 20 supplant religion. he
demonstrates that common natural rea-
son IS sufficient 10 legitimate IL not 20
. establish the true religion" While Il is
quite true that the heart 90 which so
much is made in the "Penstcs" is equiv
alcnt TO incait.on. aH apprehension OF
undcmonstratahle truth. il is equally
true that Pascal regarded il as non
con pos IN religion. Man. the ruin. the
dead branch. can he repaired and re
viNed only by supernatural grace. 1t is
. needless 20 observe that there is no like
ness between such a doctrine and the
pelaEian optimism OF Kant practical
philosophy
While a Catholic. n. Giraud's opin-
ions are those Of a liberal" Catholic. It
might be going too far 90 say that he is
a modernist. especially as this is rather
an elastic term. But he claims Pascal
as ar least the forerunner Of the anti
+ intellectualism. she voluntarisn. which
is So in vogue in contemporary philos-
ophy and theology. a moral philos-
ophy of the good VIII. that is the philcs-
ophy which Pascal wished 20 establish"
But the contrast in the "Penssees' is
not between the insufficient intellect and
the efficient viii. but between the intel
+ lect ruined and in doubt without grace
and the intellect reconstructsd 10y grace
and enlightened by revelation. Whereas
the nadernist LAYS emphasis upon the
! moral value Of the Church and rejects
! The intellectual formulation Of dogmas.
! Pascal sets out from the fundamental
conception Of an ccclCSid dozens In the
authority % the Church there is a
veritable Righteousness and no violence"
The Christian faith is concerned prin-
oipally only with establishing two things
the corruption Of human nature and
the redemption 81 Jesus Christ" Pascal
WAS, 10 be sure. no mere ohscura mist,
for he refers continually 20 what he calls
the convincing proofs Of religion.
Let us seek 10 think rightly: that is
the principle of morality" The mod
/ Crnist attaches great -alue 70 imagine
tion and sentiment at the expense Of the
intellect Pascal does quite the opposite.
The modernist eNalts the viii I'm the ap-
pTehension If truth. Pascal denies that
The viii forms the belief His faraous
discussion Of the wager as 10 tho being
of God is directly opposed % vo'un-
farism. The wager is made not on
grounds Of practical values. but because
of The intellectual probability Of the
supernatural quite ont of harmony
with the mcdernist conception Of re1fE-
ION is PascaTs idea Of miracles. which.
according TO him. have an intellectual
value as evidences OF the supernatural.
His belief in the literal fulflment OF
Messlanic prophecy is another part Of
the same apologetcal position. And
even II he was far from being a no.
lastic theolosian. he al least submitted
himself. as he says in his Memorial"
totally TO Jesus Christ and his spiritual
director. and affirmed that God is 10 he
known only in the way afforded by the
Gospels.
With certain other critics. VI. Giraud
has little 10 say about the "Provin-
GALES It is doubtless true that the
questions in dispute between Pascal and
the Jesults are no longer a living issue.
II may also be admitted that he was nor
always a fair opponent. It is not quite
correct however 10 say that the letters
exhibit the writer only as clever
pamphleteer. and il is quite erroneous TO
contend that the casuistry which he at
tackled was generally prevalent among
moralsts Of the period. Aside from
their clement Of high comedy. which re-
minds one Of MoIiere. and Of their clo-
quence. which rivals that of the great
French preachers in the grand steele
the "PTovinciales" are important in the
insight which they afforded into Pascars
. own opinions, particularly as 10 efficient
/ grace"
Had ". Giraud appreciated more fully
and clearly the effects Of PascaIs philos-
ophy he might have formed a more ade-
. quate conception of the causes 20 which
. 1t owes its present influence. The skep-
tcism of Montaigne. which per1ades not
only the "Pcns5es' but much OF our
modern philosophical literature. has
found its fullest expression in aEaostI-
c-sm. No one can read the negative
philosophy of Hamilton and Mansel
/ without noticing its intimate relation 20
. TascaIs skepucism. And Il was this
theory OF knowledge which led directly
. - t5o anu-metaphysiC theory OF Spen-
yer. WIKI The French thinker, however
positive religion Is supposed 10 remove
4 the difficulties Of theoretical philosophy
. What makes Pascal SO truly modern is
not theory of Voluutarism which he
did not hold Pascal is 50 truly modern
. a. F..-T. -, al