The Philosophia Christi, Its Echoes And Its Repercussions On Virtue And Nobility

Abstract

This chapter shows the views of Blaise Pascal and Thomas Hobbes as two alternatives since neither formulated their ideas along the lines of ancient philosophical schools. According to Erasmus the way to virtue depends on knowing oneself and acting according to the dictates of reason and not passion. The phrase Philosophia Christi links up with the idea that the aims of philosophy and religion are same. Two main alternatives to the accepted philosophicoreligious stance were based on related, though not identical, considerations - either the attainability of moral happiness with the help of reason was called into doubt, or the concept of a moral happiness was flatly rejected. Pascal's criticism of the supposed similarity between philosophy and religion leads to a direct confrontation between reason and religious inspiration. Educated early moderns were well versed in the idea that there was a psychological dividend on their abstention from lower pleasures. Keywords:Blaise Pascal; Erasmus; nobility; Philosophia Christi ; Thomas Hobbes; virtue