Blaise Pascal: “True eloquence mocks…”

Source and attribution

The archive attributes this English wording to Pensées 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

Unlike mere information, wisdom concerns judgment. Ancient schools linked it to virtue, moderation, and the right relation to desire. This passage enters that discussion through wisdom.

Concepts in this quote

Wisdom: Wisdom is practical insight under uncertainty: knowing what matters, what one does not know, and how to act without false certainty.

How to cite this quotation

APA: Blaise Pascal. (n.d.). True eloquence mocks eloquence. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0495

MLA: Blaise Pascal. “True eloquence mocks eloquence..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0495.

Chicago: Blaise Pascal. “True eloquence mocks eloquence..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0495.

Frequently asked questions

What is the source of the quotation “True eloquence mocks eloquence.”?

The passage is attributed to Blaise Pascal, Pensées. The archive attributes this English wording to Pensées 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 wisdom?