Q0241
“All our dignity consists, then, in thought.” — Blaise Pascal (Pensées §347 (Brunschvicg))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Pensées §347 (Brunschvicg). Theme: dignity.
English
All our dignity consists, then, in thought.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Pensées §347 (Brunschvicg) 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.
Interpretation
Pascal's claim in the Pensées is that human greatness is not found in what we occupy — the physical universe dwarfs us — but in the fact that we know we are dwarfed. Thought is the basis of dignity because it is the capacity by which we judge the world that crushes us. The argument deliberately uses our fragility as the starting point: a reed is the weakest thing in nature, but it is a thinking reed. The claim is therefore not a compliment to reason's power.
Why it matters
It locates dignity in a specific capacity rather than in status or achievement, which is why it does not depend on how well things are going.
Concepts in this quote
- Dignity
- Dignity names the worth that persons claim simply as persons—and the respect that worth demands.
- Humanity
- Humanity names both the species and the moral quality of being humane—bridging anthropology and ethics.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Blaise Pascal. (n.d.). All our dignity consists, then, in thought. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0241
MLA: Blaise Pascal. “All our dignity consists, then, in thought..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0241.
Chicago: Blaise Pascal. “All our dignity consists, then, in thought..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0241.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “All our dignity consists, then, in thought.”?
The passage is attributed to Blaise Pascal, Pensées §347 (Brunschvicg). The archive attributes this English wording to Pensées §347 (Brunschvicg) 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 dignity?
Kantian and rights-based ethics make dignity central; other traditions speak of face, honor, or Buddha-nature. Politics asks how institutions honor or violate dignity. This passage enters that discussion through dignity, humanity.