Q0060
“Man is only a reed, the weakest in nature; but he is…” — Blaise Pascal (Pensées §347)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Pensées §347. Theme: human nature.
English
Man is only a reed, the weakest in nature; but he is a thinking reed.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Pensées §347 and files it under Christian Existential Precursor. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, and Christian apologist who invented an early calculator and advanced probability and fluid mechanics. After a decisive religious conversion, he defended Jansenism in the Provincial Letters and left unfinished Pensées.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Aristotle and Blaise Pascal), human nature is framed through Peripatetic School and Christian Existential Precursor. Some passages define human nature; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through human nature, dignity.
Concepts in this quote
- Human Nature
- Human Nature appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat human nature as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Dignity
- Dignity names the worth that persons claim simply as persons—and the respect that worth demands.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Blaise Pascal. (n.d.). Man is only a reed, the weakest in nature; but he is a thinking reed. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0060
MLA: Blaise Pascal. “Man is only a reed, the weakest in….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0060.
Chicago: Blaise Pascal. “Man is only a reed, the weakest in….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0060.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Man is only a reed, the weakest in…”?
The passage is attributed to Blaise Pascal, Pensées §347. The archive attributes this English wording to Pensées §347 and files it under Christian Existential Precursor. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Blaise Pascal mean by human nature?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Aristotle and Blaise Pascal), human nature is framed through Peripatetic School and Christian Existential Precursor. Some passages define human nature; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through human nature, dignity.