“It is the heart which perceives God and not the reason. That is what faith is: God perceived by the heart, not by the reason.”
- June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
- French
- Mathematician, Physicist, Inventor, Philosopher, Theologian
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Quote
“It is the heart which perceives God and not the reason. That is what faith is: God perceived by the heart, not by the reason.”
Explanation
Pascal asserts that faith is a matter not of intellectual deduction but of inner, heartfelt conviction. The human heart—not merely as the seat of emotion, but as the center of intuition, conscience, and deep awareness—is where God is known. While reason plays a role in understanding, it cannot grasp the fullness of divine reality. Faith, therefore, is not an equation to be solved, but a relationship to be felt and embraced through love, humility, and surrender.
In Pensées, Pascal frequently explores the limits of reason in spiritual matters. He respects logic and philosophy, but insists that God, being infinite, cannot be comprehended solely through finite tools. This is why faith does not rest on proof but on a movement of the heart—a recognition that resonates beyond argument. For Pascal, this is not irrationality, but a higher kind of knowing, one that involves the whole person rather than just the intellect.
In today’s world, where belief is often expected to conform to empirical evidence or rational certainty, Pascal’s insight is both countercultural and clarifying. Not all truths are provable; some are known by encounter and experience. His quote invites us to consider that faith is not a failure of reason, but a response of the heart to what reason alone cannot reach—a perception of God not in calculation, but in presence.
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