Extract
[...] Pascal also notes that the relationship to destiny is present in Epictetus and in Christianity. However, he deduces that the salvation of Stoicism leads to happiness and not to happiness because the thought is based on pride. This haughty aspect of Stoicism is found in the definition that every being represents a fragment of the divine, the negation of evil, the consideration of suicide as liberation. This philosophical doctrine corresponds to a submissive attitude to destiny. As for Christianity, it promises personal immortality, the salvation of our loved ones. [...]
[...] Épictète, Emmanuel Cattin, Laurent Jaffro, Manual of Epictetus, Barcelona, ed. Flammarion, 1997. Ferry Luc, Learning to Live, Paris, ed. J'ai Lu, 2008. The ddictionary Le Petit Robert, éd under the direction of A. Rey, 2019. Sites web. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaise_Pascal , page consulted on 20 November 2019. https://fr.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Sto%C3%AFcisme_et_Christianisme/II , page consulted on 22 November 2019. http://www.penseesdepascal.fr/Philosophes/Philosophes1-approfondir.php , page consulted on 25 November 2019. [...]
[...] How does Pascal compare the stoicism of Epictetus to Christianity? [Introduction. During his interview with M. de Sacy, Pascal, recently converted, ardently defends Christianity. According to him, Epictetus best represents Stoicism, a doctrine that recognizes the inner power of Man. By this comparison, Pascal does not inform about Stoicism and does not seek the truth, but he highlights the moral imperfection of Epictetus' Stoicism while illustrating its spiritual aspects. By adapting Epictetus' statements to Christianity and questioning the potential spiritual contribution of Stoicism to the religion, Pascal seeks the possible utility of philosophy to religion throughout the interview. [...]
[...] In conclusion, Pascal compares Epictetus' Stoicism to Christianity by adapting Epictetus' statements to Christianity, but also by focusing on the ethical dimension of Stoicism. We can deduce from this analysis that the question of the usefulness of philosophy to religion, which Pascal tries to convince M. de Sacy, mainly guides the orchestration of his comparison. Each philosophical doctrine having its own share of truth, the idea of gathering them to form a perfect morality would be illusory, given their sometimes antagonistic nature. [...]
[...] Pascal also highlights the wisdom of Epictetus' Stoicism. Both religion and philosophy consider salvation as victory over concerns about human finitude. Salvation is taken up in Christianity, but not by being founded on reason itself, but by another. Pascal will again emphasize the pride of the Stoic doctrine that assimilates its salvation to the victory over fears. In addition, even if Stoicism ignores the misery of man, it contains a spiritual aspect that tends not only to a happiness similar to that of felicity but also to the salvation of the wise by the mastery of oneself, whether by the emission of a firm and just judgment, of a control of his passions. [...]
