Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-07-30
MENTAL DISORDERS FAIL To
INVALIDATE AESTHETIC MIND
Pascal Pcnsccs, Pater Declares Illustrate Difference
Between Works of Intellect and Art-His Theology
Critic Says, Depicts Tragedy of Life.

waiter Pat"r In his essay on paS-
car. insists. though with the most
d"iicate sympathy. that IN. ,h.olouy
or fasca' was sick Ike his mind I,
Is the fashion now to snecr at Pator:
nut TN" sne"rs come. | suspect. from
mos" "h" nave not read him. writes
'lut,on- Brock in the London
Time.
No one capable OF understanding
| the essay on Pascal could sne.r after
he had read II: for Pater makes us
understand how Pascal came by his
dreadful theology. As shelley saws
or himself. Pascars own thoughts
pursued him Ike raging hounds and
N" was at once their father aud their
prey. Tho theology Of the ''Pensees. e
regarded intellectually or morally
now seems false and even danger
Gus. Shaf'cshury. generation after
they ~er" written. exaniped PascalS
reasons for belief with charming
irony. and now we should not even
VAST" irony on them.
Yet the "r.nsces' liz stul rrrs,
look 20 be read with admiration and
excitement. even with affection. For
In ~. "a pai.r says whether or not
Pascal was fixing the outlines. the
principles. OF great system OF as
sent, OF conviction. FOR acceptance by
the Intellect. he was certainly nA.nK
these with all the imaginative depth
and efficiency Of Shnkespear. him
sslf" II IS. ne Insists. a tragedy. ,he
essential human tragedy. typical
and central in It's expression az
Hamlet" That In to gay, II Is for us
now work OF art. 10 he experienced
aestheticai!y rather than intellect
uallv That Is why We can stu read
l. with delight. though We may dis
sent from all its propositions.
Intellect md Art.
In fact. because the "Pensees" has
become work of art for W. it illus
,ratrs on" OF the chief differences be
tween works 81 tn" intellect and
works NJ ar,-namely. that mental
disorder. while II may utterly invah-
date IN. intellectual process. Will not
invalidat. the aesthetic n n man is
mad. he can hardly be great philos-
opher or theoloEian, hut he may still
bc "A great artist. The condition Of
pascars mind and body made him be-
lieve fearful. almost insane things
lobut the nature Of God and Of man.
things which. BADLY stated. would
nave no value whatever But they
are not BADLY stated, ne remains ut
,.rlv SINGER" and master Of lam
guacc. so some would say that W."
read IN. "r"nsacs" for tho style; tut
that is absurd. No man Of sense
eyer reads "A book for It's s'Sie' the
phrase IL a confused way Of saying
that a hook is to he taken aesthetic
ally. not inteliectually.
Pascars style is proof Of his sim
certify; II convinces us that he ala
believe what ne rrof~ssed TO believe
and that Is what makes tragedy
Of the "Pensees." OF Hamlet. the
tragedy OF disordered mind. II
would be merely disgusting II
Pascal had exploited his disorder Tor
artistic purposes. for sincerity re-
mains the essential OF art, as truth
/. The essential OF philosophy.
whether the artist be mad or sane.
II is tragedy. something that es-
capes from pathology into beauty,
because he was trying 10 discover
the truth. struggling all the while
with mis- disorder. Hamlet strug-
giles 10 do what IL right.