Blaise Pascal's Passionate Plea

One of humanity’s most outstanding questions is, “What comes after this life?” The answer to this question can completely alter the course of one’s existence on earth. Knowing that a paradisiacal realm waits for those who adhere to specific religious values powerfully motivates people to obey these values. For example, many of history’s most influential religious figures, like Montanus and Muhammad, gained immense influence over the lives of their followers by professing to hold secret knowledge about the pathway to Heaven. However, believing all existence terminates with death means life is meaningless. People who believe life is pointless often become depressed, unexcited about life, and suicidal. In Pensees, Blaise Pascal reveals two essential truths about human nature and eternity, forcefully urging his readers to confirm their safety in the afterlife by seeking God.

Pascal begins by asserting that all humans should want to be eternally safe. Since human life is fraught with sadness and turmoil, all people should be deeply motivated to seek a better life after death. Pascal describes earthly life as devoid of true happiness, saying, “You do not need a greatly elevated soul to realize that in this life there is no true and firm satisfaction, that all our pleasures are simply vanity.” While most people do not live wholly miserable lives, and even the most unhappy person still experiences temporary pleasures, every earthly source of enjoyment, like youth and sensuality, will eventually fade. By describing earthly life as filled with imperfect feelings of happiness and vain pleasures, Pascal suggests that everyone should seek Heaven’s true happiness in the afterlife by serving God. 

Additionally, Pascal argues that the prospect of enduring Hell’s eternal torment should strongly motivate people to avoid it by seeking God. If the God of the Bible exists, there are only two possible destinations for the human soul after death: Heaven or Hell. Pascal condemns those who refuse to consider what comes after death, saying, “This indifference in a matter which concerns themselves, their eternity… amazes and appalls me: it strikes me as wholly monstrous.” He continues, to “know only that on leaving this world I either fall into nothingness forever, or into the hands of an angry God, without knowing which of these two states will be my condition in eternity” and not attempt to seek a third option indicates an unnatural lack of “human interest and self-love.” Making no effort to escape mortal danger while knowing one is in it is contrary to the human instinct of self-preservation, and there is no greater danger than to “fall into the hands of an angry God.” Pascal uses the current pain of life and the prospect of future agony in the afterlife to motivate his readers to seek a better destination after death. 

After encouraging his readers to search for eternal safety, Pascal tells them how to find it: through obedience to God. Pascal describes the choice of whether or not to serve God as an extraordinary “wager” that determines one’s eternal destiny. Even if one is wrong, he will not lose by choosing to recognize God’s existence by obeying the commands in the Bible. Pascal says, “Let us weigh up the gain and the loss by calling heads that God exists.… if you lose, you lose nothing.” The non-existence of a creator necessarily means that humanity and human life exist without meaning or purpose. Therefore, one who devotes his entire life to the service of a non-existent creator would only have used up a meaningless life and have no reason to grieve over the lost time. 

Additionally, being obedient to the moral rules found in the Bible is incredibly conducive to the development of human virtue, even if God does not exist. Pascal says that obeying Biblical principles will cause one to “be faithful, honest, humble, doing good, a sincere and true friend,” virtues that all morally upright people desire to embody. If God exists, though, the benefits of obeying Him multiply exponentially. Those who follow Him will experience an “infinitely happy infinity of life” after death. Humanity desires happiness more than anything else in the physical world, and people often make life-altering choices to acquire it. For example, people often bring new children into the world, embark on entirely new careers, and move to new regions to become happier. Pascal claims that one can attain happiness by simply seeking God. If God exists, then choosing whether or not to seek Him is humanity's most significant choice. By demonstrating that one will always benefit from obeying Biblical precepts. even if God does not exist, Pascal assures readers that seeking God is the right choice.

Pascal reveals vital truths about the afterlife in Pensees to motivate readers to seek eternal safety through God. Humans are imbued with the natural desire to pursue the security and prosperity of their brethren. Pascal reasons to the conclusion that God exists but notices that many humans are indifferent to the existence of God and choose not to obey Him. Pascal believes God will punish people who disobey Him and thus fears for the spiritually indifferent. He writes Pensees as a desperate plea to spiritually indifferent people, imploring them to avoid eternal punishment by seeking God.