>"The only thing which consoles us for our miseries is

>>9700313
Yep. But we're all escapists anyways.

>>9700313
>more solid escapism
like death perhaps?
look, pascal, according to you, both ways lead to death, one conscious and one unconscious. searching for bullshit paradoxes in the human condition is obviously your diversion, but it sure as fuck wearies me.

>>9701502
t. ernest becker

Any recommendations for an english edition of the pensees? Can I just pick up a Penguin or what?

>>9702527
nothing wrong with f.w. trotter
https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/p/pascal/blaise/p27pe/complete.html

pascal was influenced by some dutch protestant fanatics who regarded every outward activity including science as diversion, that's also why he stopped doing math or physics to concentrate completely on his magnum opus.

>>9700313
>Is reading for escapism wrong?

Yes.

>>9701521

Yes, like death. Regardless of what happens after it, contemplation on death is the most worthwhile thing to do.

>>9700313
I'm reading through pensees right now, and from what I understood his proclamation of things being diversions isn't an attack, he's just implying how scientists who claim how the nobles and kings who occupy themselves with hunting or games are retarded are basically doing the same thing. How the need for diversions is a human universal, since an unoccupied mind is a troubled mind.