“The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.”
- June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
- French
- Mathematician, Physicist, Inventor, Philosopher, Theologian
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Quote
“The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.”
Explanation
Pascal affirms that human beings are not guided by reason alone, but also by the heart—our intuitive, emotional, and spiritual core. While reason seeks clarity, evidence, and logic, the heart perceives truths that cannot be fully articulated or proven, such as love, beauty, faith, or moral conviction. This does not mean the heart is irrational, but rather that it operates on a different plane, one that reason cannot fully grasp or control.
This quote is among Pascal’s most famous from Pensées, encapsulating his vision of the limits of rationalism and the depth of human experience. As a mathematician and philosopher, Pascal understood the power of logic, but he also believed that some of life’s most important truths—especially those concerning God and the soul—are accessible only through the heart. Faith, in particular, requires not just intellectual assent but a personal, inward trust that transcends argument.
In our modern age, where rationalism and empiricism dominate many domains, Pascal’s insight offers a crucial counterbalance. Not everything that matters can be measured, proven, or explained. People fall in love, act on conscience, or find meaning in art—not because of logic, but because of something deeper within. Pascal reminds us that the full truth of being human includes both head and heart, and that to ignore the heart is to misunderstand ourselves.
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