“Men blaspheme what they do not know.”
- June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
- French
- Mathematician, Physicist, Inventor, Philosopher, Theologian
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Quote
“Men blaspheme what they do not know.”
Explanation
Pascal highlights the human tendency to speak irreverently or dismissively about things they neither understand nor have truly considered. Blasphemy, in this context, is not just a religious offense, but a symptom of ignorance and pride—a way of mocking or scorning the sacred or profound without having first grappled with its depth or meaning. Such irreverence often comes not from thoughtful disbelief, but from shallow familiarity, prejudice, or fear.
This observation fits with Pascal’s broader themes in Pensées, where he frequently critiques both the careless skeptic and the superficial believer. He suggests that true engagement with spiritual matters requires humility and sincerity, and that dismissing or mocking what one does not understand is a failure of both reason and heart. For Pascal, faith and truth are not to be mocked, especially by those who have not earnestly sought them—doing so reflects not intellectual superiority, but spiritual blindness.
In the modern age of instant opinions and superficial judgments, Pascal’s quote is especially relevant. Whether in religion, philosophy, or culture, people often ridicule ideas they have never seriously studied or experienced. His insight calls for greater humility, deeper inquiry, and a suspension of scorn until we truly understand. To blaspheme out of ignorance is not boldness—it is, in Pascal’s view, a kind of cowardice masked as confidence.
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