Sklansky and Pascal

[smokingrobot]

David -

What are your opnions on Pascal? A man who was in his own right a genius of his time. His contributions to science and mathematics are quite considerable.

Although it wasnt until later in his life that his religious beliefs overshadowed his rational endeavors, he nonetheless produced a very interesting and deeply philosophical book, Pensees.

Is he an anomaly?

And what about Plato/Socrates. Socrates, a character who is known perhaps most (at least to those who read him) for his rational and logical thinking. (perhaps i should speak of Plato instead).

Yet in a few of Plato's works he has Socartes use myth as explanation rather than his usual methodology.

Is he an ancient fool who just didnt know how to confront certain issues?

The works im speaking of are the Republic (the end of which a 'tale' is used to wrap everything up) and the Apology.

I am sure there are other cases in which this occurred, but i cant pull them off the top of my head now and my books are all packed up in boxes.

I feel like these two people, one possibly fictitious, provide an interesting example into what seems to be the theme of this board, christianity (or religion in general) and its inability to cope with the human mind in regard to the the sciences.