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Blaise Pascal as Thinker of Power: Force, Imagination and Concupiscence

Year 2024, Issue: 60, 58 - 71, 30.06.2024
https://doi.org/10.26650/arcp.270624

Abstract

This study aims an analysis of Blaise Pascal’s conception of power. Unlike Descartes, Pascal’s distinction between the order of the will, as the order of the heart, and the order of the flesh, as the order of worldly desires, stands out as a fundamental feature of his thought. Therefore, Cartesian reason does not function rationally on two levels, according to Blaise Pascal, who makes distinctions between various centers of power and various forms of rationality: First, the organization of power cannot be solely based on ideas. Secondly, the imagination not only challenges reason, but it also establishes the foundation upon which reason is built. By defining the boundaries of reason, Pascal not only discovered a modus operandi to make better use of reason, but also demonstrated the issues raised by trying to apply reason in places where it has no purpose at all. In this context, the field of effects generates reasons of its own and cannot be grasped through the lenses of reason. In any potential conflict between an interest and an idea, the interest always holds the upper hand. That being said, an authority cannot acquire authority if it does not first establish a legitimate connection. For this reason, each force generates its own ideas, feelings, and beliefs. Only the sword bestows, according to Pascal a true right. Consequently, justice is the appearance of the force that uses the sword to claim its right. Pascal’s philosophy provides two crucial perspectives on power to consider: First, power offers its own rationality; it is not irrational in the face of reason. Second, power can be viewed autonomously within the contexts of power, imagination, and concupiscence management thanks to this rationality.

References

  • Pascal, Blaise. (Euvres Completes, texte etabli et annote par Jacques Chevalier, Paris : Gallimard, 1954. google scholar
  • Pensees, pre. Par G. Ferreyrolles, texte etabli par Philippe Sellier d’apres la copie de reference de Gilberte Pascal, Paris : Le Livre de Poche, 2003. google scholar
  • Pensees, texte etabli par Louis Lafuma, Paris: Editions Points, 2018 google scholar
  • Pensees, Preface et introduction de Leon Brunschvicg, Paris: Librairie Generale Française, 1972 google scholar
  • De l’esprit geometrique, ecrits sur la Grâce et autres textes, ed. Andre Clair, Paris : GF Flammarion, 1985. google scholar
  • Pensees sur la politique, suivies de Trois discours sur la condition des Grands, textes choisis et presentes par Andre Comte-Sponville, Paris: Rivages, 2015. google scholar
  • Les Provinciales, edition critique par Louis Cognet et Gerard Ferreyrolles, Paris : Classiques Garnier, 2023. google scholar
  • Provinciales, (Extraits) ed. Pierre Clarac, Paris : Larousse, 1934. google scholar
  • Düşünceler, çev. Devrim Çetinkasap, İstanbul : İş Bankası, 2017 google scholar
  • Düşünceler, çev. Fethi Yücel, Ankara : Fol, 2023. google scholar
  • Taşra Mektupları, çev. Mehmet Alkan, Ankara : Fol, 2021. google scholar
  • Risaleler, çev. Murat Erşen, İstanbul : Pinhan, 2017. google scholar
  • Attali, Jacques. Blaise Pascal ou le genie français, Paris : Fayard, 2002. google scholar
  • Auerbach, Erich. “Kötünün Zaferi. Pascal’in Siyasi Nazariyesi Üzerine Bir Deneme”, çev. Fikret Elpe, Felsefe Arkivi, 1, no. 2, 1946, 76-98. google scholar
  • Auerbach, Erich. “Der Triumph des Bösen. Versuch über Pascals politische Theorie”, Felsefe Arkivi, 1, no. 2, 1946, 51-75. google scholar
  • Bourdieu, Pierre. Meditations pascaliennes, Paris: Seuil, 2003. google scholar
  • Boutroux, Emile. Pascal, Paris: Hachette, 1907. google scholar
  • Brunschvicg, Leon. “Chapitre X. Pascal”, Spinoza et ses contemporains. Paris: PUF, 1971, 194-211. google scholar
  • Dariosecq, Luc. “La Pensee Politique de Pascal”, PMLA 76, no. 1, 1961,54—62. google scholar
  • Droulers, Charles. La Cite de Pascal, Paris : Librairie des Sciences Politiques & Sociales Marcel Riviere, 1928. google scholar
  • Escola, Marc. “Penser contre « Pascal ». Jansenisme ou revolution”, Sophie Rabau ed., Lire contre l’auteur, Paris : Presses universitaires de Vincennes, 2012, 19-50. google scholar
  • Ferreyrolles, Gerard. Pascal et la raison du politique. Paris : PUF, 1984 google scholar
  • Ferreyrolles, Gerard. “Pascal Blaise, 1623-1662. Pensees, posthume”, in Dictionnaire des (Euvres Politiques, sous la direction de François Châtelet, O. Duhamel, E. Pisier, Paris : Presses Universitaires de France, 1989, 811-814. google scholar
  • Ginzburg, Carlo. Neanmoins. Machiavel, Pascal, Lagrasse : Verdier, 2022. google scholar
  • Goldmann, Lucien. Le Dieu Cache, Etude sur la vision tragique dans les Pensees de Pascal et dans le theâtre de Racine, Paris : Gallimard, 1959. google scholar
  • Grasset, Bernard M.-J. “Le sens pascalien du mot esprit et les trois ordres”, Revue philosophique de la France et de l’etranger, vol. 133, no. 1, 2008, 4-29. google scholar
  • Kolakowski, Leszek. “Note sur lapolitique de Pascal”, Commentaire, 1997/1, Sayı 77, 105-109. google scholar
  • Laporte, Jean. Le caur et la raison selon Pascal, Paris : Elzevir, 1950 google scholar
  • Lazzeri, Christian. Force et justice dans la politique de Pascal. Paris : PUF, 1993. google scholar
  • Lefebvre, Henri. Pascal, Tome II, Paris : Nagel, 1954. google scholar
  • Lefebvre, Henri. “Divertissement pascalien et alienation humaine”, in Blaise Pascal, L’homme et l’auvre, Paris : Les Editions de Minuit, 1956, 196-224. google scholar
  • Louis, Adrien, Les meilleurs n’aurontpas le pouvoir. Une enquete a partir d’Aristote, Pascal et Tocqueville, Paris : PUF, 2021. google scholar
  • Lafuma, Louis. Trois Pensees Inedites de Pascal, Extraites du Manuscrits de l’Abbe Perrier son neveu, Paris : Editions Litteraires de France, 1945. google scholar
  • Lafuma, Louis. Histoire des Pensees de Pascal (1656-1952), Paris : Editions du Luxembourg, 1954. google scholar
  • Laporte, Jean. Le Caur et la raison selon Pascal, Paris : Editions Elzevir, 1950. google scholar
  • Mortier, Roland. “Les Idees Politiques de Pascal ”, in Revue d’Histoire Litteraire de La France 58, no. 3, 1958, 289-96. google scholar
  • Pecharman, Martine. “Pascal et le Politique”, in L’Etat Classique, 1652-1715, textes reunis par H. Mechoulan, J. Cornette, Paris : Vrin, 1996, 113-132. google scholar
  • http://www.penseesdepascal.fr/ google scholar

İktidar Düşünürü Olarak Blaise Pascal: Güç, İmgelem ve İstek

Year 2024, Issue: 60, 58 - 71, 30.06.2024
https://doi.org/10.26650/arcp.270624

Abstract

Bu makale Blaise Pascal’i bir iktidar düşünürü olarak incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Pascal’in, Descartes’tan farklı olarak akıl düzeni dışında iradenin yani yüreğin düzeni ve tenin yani dünyevi isteklerin düzenini ayırt etmesi, düşüncesinin temel bir özelliği olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Böylelikle düzenler arasında farklı güç odakları ve farklı rasyonalite tipleri gözeten Blaise Pascal için Kartezyen akıl iki açıdan rasyonel olarak işlemez. Birincisi gücün düzeninde fikirler yetersiz kalır. İkincisi ise imgelem akla rakip olmanın ötesinde aklın üzerine yaslandığı zeminin kurucusudur. Aklın sınırını çizen Pascal, hem aklı daha etkin kullanmanın bir yolunu bulmuştur hem de aklın hiç işlemediği alanlarda akılla kavrayış geliştirmenin yarattığı sorunları göstermiştir. Bu bağlamda etkiler alanı aklın nedenleriyle anlaşılamaz aksine etkiler alanı kendisine ait bir akıl üretir. Güç hâkim olur, imgelemi kurar ve dünyevi istekleri yönetir. Bir fikir ile bir çıkar arasındaki mücadelenin galibi her zaman için güç sahibi olan çıkardır. Ancak bir güç, meşruiyet ilişkisi üretmeden iktidar olamaz. Bu yüzden her iktidar kendi duygularını, inanç ve fikir tiplerini de üretir. Pascal açısından gerçek bir hakkı ancak kılıç verir. Bu yüzden kılıçla hakkını elde eden iktidar kendisini adalet olarak sunar. Pascal’in düşüncesi iktidarı düşünmek açısından iki önemli yönelim sunmaktadır: İlk olarak iktidar akıl karşısında bir irrasyonalite değildir aksine kendisine ait bir rasyonalite sunar. İkinci olarak ise bu rasyonalite iktidarı güç, imgelem ve isteklerin yönetimi olarak kendisine özgü bir otonomi içerisinde ele almaya olanak tanır.

References

  • Pascal, Blaise. (Euvres Completes, texte etabli et annote par Jacques Chevalier, Paris : Gallimard, 1954. google scholar
  • Pensees, pre. Par G. Ferreyrolles, texte etabli par Philippe Sellier d’apres la copie de reference de Gilberte Pascal, Paris : Le Livre de Poche, 2003. google scholar
  • Pensees, texte etabli par Louis Lafuma, Paris: Editions Points, 2018 google scholar
  • Pensees, Preface et introduction de Leon Brunschvicg, Paris: Librairie Generale Française, 1972 google scholar
  • De l’esprit geometrique, ecrits sur la Grâce et autres textes, ed. Andre Clair, Paris : GF Flammarion, 1985. google scholar
  • Pensees sur la politique, suivies de Trois discours sur la condition des Grands, textes choisis et presentes par Andre Comte-Sponville, Paris: Rivages, 2015. google scholar
  • Les Provinciales, edition critique par Louis Cognet et Gerard Ferreyrolles, Paris : Classiques Garnier, 2023. google scholar
  • Provinciales, (Extraits) ed. Pierre Clarac, Paris : Larousse, 1934. google scholar
  • Düşünceler, çev. Devrim Çetinkasap, İstanbul : İş Bankası, 2017 google scholar
  • Düşünceler, çev. Fethi Yücel, Ankara : Fol, 2023. google scholar
  • Taşra Mektupları, çev. Mehmet Alkan, Ankara : Fol, 2021. google scholar
  • Risaleler, çev. Murat Erşen, İstanbul : Pinhan, 2017. google scholar
  • Attali, Jacques. Blaise Pascal ou le genie français, Paris : Fayard, 2002. google scholar
  • Auerbach, Erich. “Kötünün Zaferi. Pascal’in Siyasi Nazariyesi Üzerine Bir Deneme”, çev. Fikret Elpe, Felsefe Arkivi, 1, no. 2, 1946, 76-98. google scholar
  • Auerbach, Erich. “Der Triumph des Bösen. Versuch über Pascals politische Theorie”, Felsefe Arkivi, 1, no. 2, 1946, 51-75. google scholar
  • Bourdieu, Pierre. Meditations pascaliennes, Paris: Seuil, 2003. google scholar
  • Boutroux, Emile. Pascal, Paris: Hachette, 1907. google scholar
  • Brunschvicg, Leon. “Chapitre X. Pascal”, Spinoza et ses contemporains. Paris: PUF, 1971, 194-211. google scholar
  • Dariosecq, Luc. “La Pensee Politique de Pascal”, PMLA 76, no. 1, 1961,54—62. google scholar
  • Droulers, Charles. La Cite de Pascal, Paris : Librairie des Sciences Politiques & Sociales Marcel Riviere, 1928. google scholar
  • Escola, Marc. “Penser contre « Pascal ». Jansenisme ou revolution”, Sophie Rabau ed., Lire contre l’auteur, Paris : Presses universitaires de Vincennes, 2012, 19-50. google scholar
  • Ferreyrolles, Gerard. Pascal et la raison du politique. Paris : PUF, 1984 google scholar
  • Ferreyrolles, Gerard. “Pascal Blaise, 1623-1662. Pensees, posthume”, in Dictionnaire des (Euvres Politiques, sous la direction de François Châtelet, O. Duhamel, E. Pisier, Paris : Presses Universitaires de France, 1989, 811-814. google scholar
  • Ginzburg, Carlo. Neanmoins. Machiavel, Pascal, Lagrasse : Verdier, 2022. google scholar
  • Goldmann, Lucien. Le Dieu Cache, Etude sur la vision tragique dans les Pensees de Pascal et dans le theâtre de Racine, Paris : Gallimard, 1959. google scholar
  • Grasset, Bernard M.-J. “Le sens pascalien du mot esprit et les trois ordres”, Revue philosophique de la France et de l’etranger, vol. 133, no. 1, 2008, 4-29. google scholar
  • Kolakowski, Leszek. “Note sur lapolitique de Pascal”, Commentaire, 1997/1, Sayı 77, 105-109. google scholar
  • Laporte, Jean. Le caur et la raison selon Pascal, Paris : Elzevir, 1950 google scholar
  • Lazzeri, Christian. Force et justice dans la politique de Pascal. Paris : PUF, 1993. google scholar
  • Lefebvre, Henri. Pascal, Tome II, Paris : Nagel, 1954. google scholar
  • Lefebvre, Henri. “Divertissement pascalien et alienation humaine”, in Blaise Pascal, L’homme et l’auvre, Paris : Les Editions de Minuit, 1956, 196-224. google scholar
  • Louis, Adrien, Les meilleurs n’aurontpas le pouvoir. Une enquete a partir d’Aristote, Pascal et Tocqueville, Paris : PUF, 2021. google scholar
  • Lafuma, Louis. Trois Pensees Inedites de Pascal, Extraites du Manuscrits de l’Abbe Perrier son neveu, Paris : Editions Litteraires de France, 1945. google scholar
  • Lafuma, Louis. Histoire des Pensees de Pascal (1656-1952), Paris : Editions du Luxembourg, 1954. google scholar
  • Laporte, Jean. Le Caur et la raison selon Pascal, Paris : Editions Elzevir, 1950. google scholar
  • Mortier, Roland. “Les Idees Politiques de Pascal ”, in Revue d’Histoire Litteraire de La France 58, no. 3, 1958, 289-96. google scholar
  • Pecharman, Martine. “Pascal et le Politique”, in L’Etat Classique, 1652-1715, textes reunis par H. Mechoulan, J. Cornette, Paris : Vrin, 1996, 113-132. google scholar
  • http://www.penseesdepascal.fr/ google scholar
There are 38 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language Turkish
Subjects History of Philosophy (Other)
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

M. Ertan Kardeş 0000-0003-3938-5780

Publication Date June 30, 2024
Submission Date January 13, 2024
Acceptance Date May 26, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2024 Issue: 60

Cite

Chicago Kardeş, M. Ertan. “İktidar Düşünürü Olarak Blaise Pascal: Güç, İmgelem Ve İstek”. Felsefe Arkivi, no. 60 (June 2024): 58-71. https://doi.org/10.26650/arcp.270624.