Pensees
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Narrated by:
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William Sutherland
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By:
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Blaise Pascal
About this listen
This audiobook begins with an analysis of the difference between mathematical and intuitive thinking and goes on to consider the value of skepticism, contradictions, feeling, memory, and imagination. Much of the value of the Pensées results from the clarity with which Pascal was able to present his intuitive thoughts.
Pascal spent much of his life composing this magnum opus, which offers some of the most powerful aphorisms about human experience and behavior ever written.
(P)2000 Blackstone Audio Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"I know of no religious writer more pertinent to our time." (T. S. Eliot)
"The liveliest, most eloquent apology of Christianity ever written." (AudioFile)
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- Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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It has been said that this work by Henry Scougal was "almost universally praised by the leaders of the Great Awakening". It is a piece of literature that has been used by God to influence the souls of men for the glory of Christ. Regardless of the times we live in, the great works of the men of God of old are still applicable today. In an age of lukewarm believers, we need the fire of God to burn us afresh and give us a clear vision of his holy will.
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Knowing God & Drawing Closer to Him
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By: Henry Scougal
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The Mystery of Providence
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- Narrated by: Jim Denison
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
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This Puritan classic, first published in the late 17th century, sets forth the biblical teaching of God and his interaction in our lives. No detail is too small or insignificant for God; he is there, working out "all things for good". And in that promise, every believer can take comfort that God truly has a purpose for every single person and will unfold his plan, which includes every detail in our daily lives.
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1682?
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The Confessions
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Reading is by 13 Consecutive Amateurs
- By Horkstow Grange on 01-16-21
By: St. Augustine
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A Defense of Calvinism
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Short introduction
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By: Charles Spurgeon
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Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
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The reading made it impossible to focus on content
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falling in love with the Divine
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The Varieties of Religious Experience is considered to be the classic work in the field. To quote Wikipedia, "James was most interested in understanding personal religious experience. The importance of James to the psychology of religion - and to psychology more generally - is difficult to overstate. He discussed many essential issues that remain of vital concern today. What makes James writing so special is that he could take a very complex subject and, without watering it down, make it understandable to 'the rest of us.'"
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Profound stuff
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You Shall Be as Gods
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The Old Testament is one of the most carefully studied books in the world’s history. It is also one of the most misunderstood. This founding text of the world’s three largest religions is also, Erich Fromm argues, an impressive radical humanist text. He sees the stories of mankind’s transition from divided clans to united brotherhood as a tribute to the human power to overcome. Filled with hopeful symbolism, You Shall Be as Gods shows how the Old Testament and its tradition is an inspiring ode to human potential.
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Fascinating new ideas
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God Speaks Again
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Extremely informative and insightful
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The Interior Castle
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The Interior Castle, also titled The Mansions, is a classic work of Christian mysticism by St. Teresa of Ávila. Published in 1588, the text serves as a practical guide for those who wish to achieve mystical union with the divine. Teresa viewed the soul as a “castle made of a single diamond”, which contains seven mansions or dwelling places. The concept of the immanence of God - who dwells in the seventh mansion - was central to her spirituality.
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Great book!
- By Kindle Customer on 02-21-21
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What listeners say about Pensees
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Gary
- 07-05-16
Story telling by Aphorisms
There are multiple levels to this book. It works best when he's sharing his wisdom by using aphorisms (short pithy and usually wise statements ). They're so many pearls within this book that it wouldn't be worthwhile to highlight with a highlighter because you would highlight over half of the book. Pascal really has a great way of looking at the world and giving a smart sounding soundbite.
Matter of fact, I would say this is one of the best self help books I've ever came across. He clearly also had parts of a book ready to be published before he died. That's the parts where he proves the truth of the Christian faith by prophecy and its miracles with plenty of bible quotes and those parts flowed more like a book.
From time to time, I dip my toes into apologetic modern writers and not a one has done as well as Pascal does with this book.
In addition, Pascal does a really good job of using reason to show that reason can't give you faith, and, furthermore it will take away the mysteries that he holds so dearly.
I had recently read Hobbes "Leviathan" and the contrast with this book is enlightening. Hobbes sees the world 'deductively' and would starts with axioms, definitions and universals and then argue his points. Pascal does the opposite for the most part, he goes to the particular to the particular and then to the general. Both touch on many of the same themes, but, for example, Hobbes will argue the Papist are flawed and miracles are suspect, while Pascal will argue for the truth of the only true universal church (Catholicism) and miracles are necessary for Christianity. To Pascal tradition, culture and faith rule supremely, Hobbes says the opposite. It's clear which of the two the Enlightenment embraced and which one they ignored.
The book is much more than just about religion (though a lot of it is). His world view and his use of aphorisms cohere much more than Nietzsche's do. These two thinkers, Nietzsche and Pascal are completely antithetical but use a similar approach in edifying.
I have a problem with using aphorisms for making your points. One can read into them something that is not true and almost always there opposite can be just as true. ("A wise man holds his tongue before speaking", oh my, how wise how deep. But wait it can be just as true that "the wise should always speak (after all he is wise)").
He's good at his logic. One of my favorites was something like "the epicureans and stoics conclusions are right but we know they are wrong since if there premises were negated they would still be just as true". That's a really interesting way of demonstrating proof by contradiction, but the same logic could be applied to his core beliefs too I suspect.
I had to reflect on his statement "that we know there is one true religion because there are very many false religions". I realized he is actually right, but it's for an obscure reason and I'll let the reader figure out for himself. (Oh heck, I'll tell ya. For there to be a 'false religion' there must be a true religion otherwise there can be no such thing as religion. Look it's his argument not mine).
Overall his method of argumentation is better than most modern day apologia, there is a large portion of the book that deals with witty sayings that can help one cope with the day-to-day, most modern day apologetic arguments go no further than what's in this book, and it's fun to watch someone using reason to defeat reason.
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Overall
- Karolina
- 07-23-11
Great work, mediocre audio version
I gave this 4 stars because even if read by the Chipmunks the Pensees deserves 4 stars.
I avoided Pascal for years because I was aware of the argument from his famous Wager and profoundly disagreed with it so I felt he didn't have much to offer. Fortunately, I became convinced of the importance of Pascal so I read the Pensees years ago with low expectations. It shocked me. While I still profoundly disagree with the Wager, as a whole the work is one of the most profound I have ever read and it is one I return to often. In a few words, Pascal understood man. One example... "We are so presumptuous that we should like to be known all over the world, even by people who will only come when we are no more. Such is our vanity that the good opinion of half a dozen of the people around us gives us pleasure and satisfaction."
Now a few words about the audio book itself. First, the choice of narrator is completely wrong. While competent as a narrator, his deep scholarly voice makes the work sound like it is encrusted in cobwebs and of no practical importance. I almost stopped listening because I didn't want to come to associate the voice with the work. This would be my greatest fear for those who have never read the Pensees. The voice reading the Pensees should be one of an earnest friend not a hoary scholar.
Second, I don't like the translation. It too is archaic and sometimes sounds like the King James Bible. I much prefer the organization and translation by A.J. Krailsheimer.
If you can find an UNABRIDGED version with a different narrator and ideally based on the Krailsheimer translation then definitely go with that. However, my criticisms aside, this audio book is still is the Pensees and well worth your time and money if you can't find a better audio version.
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Overall
- CuriousRhinoceros
- 09-16-10
Disappointed
I've loved Pascal every time I've read his work, but I couldn't finish reading this production. The reading is dull, lifeless, but I've suffered through that before. In this production, the reader and producer collude to crash chapters and thoughts into one another like a slow motion train wreck. A moment's hesitation, or at least a deep breath once in a while, would have been appreciated.
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