What is Man?

One of my favorite philosophers was Blaise Pascal. He believed that man was made for thought and that man's dignity lies in thought. In the Pensees' (one of his books) he writes, "by space the universe embraces me and swallows me up like an atom, by thought I embrace the universe."

Pascal said that the order of thought is to begin with self, and go on to its author (God) and its destiny. He says, "Now what does the world think? Never mind that, but of dancing, lute-playing, singing, writing verses, running at the ring, etc. fighting, making oneself King without a thought of what it is to be a king, or to be a man."