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Single Idea 6682
[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / a. Nature of democracy
]
Full Idea
Majority opinion is the best way because it can be seen, and is strong enough to command obedience, but it is the opinion of those who are least clever.
Gist of Idea
Majority opinion is visible and authoritative, although not very clever
Source
Blaise Pascal (Pensées [1662], 85 (878))
Book Ref
Pascal,Blaise: 'Pensées', ed/tr. Krailsheimer,A.J. [Penguin 1966], p.52
A Reaction
A nice statement of the classic dilemma faced by highly educated people over democracy. Plato preferred the clever, Aristotle agreed with Pascal, and with me. Politics must make the best of it, not pursue some ideal. Education is the one feeble hope.
The
14 ideas
from 'Pensées'
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6677
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Imagination creates beauty, justice and happiness, which is the supreme good
[Pascal]
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6678
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We live for the past or future, and so are never happy in the present
[Pascal]
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6679
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It is not good to be too free
[Pascal]
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6680
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It is a funny sort of justice whose limits are marked by a river
[Pascal]
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6681
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We only want to know things so that we can talk about them
[Pascal]
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6682
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Majority opinion is visible and authoritative, although not very clever
[Pascal]
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22011
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The first principles of truth are not rational, but are known by the heart
[Pascal]
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6676
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Painting makes us admire things of which we do not admire the originals
[Pascal]
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7455
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Pascal knows you can't force belief, but you can make it much more probable
[Pascal, by Hacking]
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7457
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Pascal is right, but relies on the unsupported claim of a half as the chance of God's existence
[Hacking on Pascal]
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7456
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The libertine would lose a life of enjoyable sin if he chose the cloisters
[Hacking on Pascal]
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6684
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If you win the wager on God's existence you win everything, if you lose you lose nothing
[Pascal]
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6675
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The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing
[Pascal]
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20732
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If man considers himself as lost and imprisoned in the universe, he will be terrified
[Pascal]
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