Explore every episode of the podcast The Thinking Reed
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 8: Graham Tomlin on How Pascal Made the Modern World | 13 Mar 2026 | 00:47:29 | |
In this episode I interview Dr. Graham Tomlin, one of the world's leading experts on Pascal and author of the book, Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World. We discuss everything from Pascal's transformative experience in "the night of fire" to his Wager to how you can thank Pascal for the existence of busses and wrist watches! I hope you enjoy this fascinating interview. | |||
| Episode 7: Pascal, The Wager (and why we get it wrong) | 08 Mar 2026 | 00:26:41 | |
In this episode we consider one of the most famous arguments for God: Pascal's "Wager." But is it an argument for God's existence? What exactly is Pascal doing with the Wager? And what are some ways we misunderstand it? Enjoy! | |||
| Episode 6: Pascal, The Heart Has Its Reasons | 03 Mar 2026 | 00:22:49 | |
In this episode we consider Pascal's thoughts on whether there is such a thing as non-rational knowledge. He famously stated that "the heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing." But what did he mean by this? Join me as we explore this fascinating aspect of Pascal's thought. Enjoy! | |||
| Episode 5: Pascal, The Vulnerability of Reason | 24 Feb 2026 | 00:23:41 | |
In this episode we explore Pascal's thoughts on the vulnerability of reason. How do we know we are being rational? Are we as rational as we think? Pascal's thoughts on this topic are fascinating and insightful. Enjoy! | |||
| Episode 4: Pascal, Why We Love Distractions | 18 Feb 2026 | 00:24:51 | |
In this episode we explore Pascal's famous statement that all of our problems come from our inability to sit alone quietly in a room. Why does he say this? Why do we love distractions? Why would we do anything to get away from being alone with our thoughts? Enjoy! | |||
| Episode 3: Pascal, The Night of Fire | 13 Feb 2026 | 00:18:25 | |
In this episode we look more closely at the most important experience of Blaise Pascal's life -- his "Night of Fire" vision. This experience is the gateway to understanding his great philosophical work, the Pensées. Enjoy! | |||
| Episode 2: Pascal, Life and Times | 10 Feb 2026 | 00:29:33 | |
In this episode we take up the life of Blaise Pascal and the world in which he lived. It was a time of religious conflict, of major shifts in scientific and philosophical understanding, and at the center of it all was the brilliant Pascal. Our goal in this episode is to set a context for upcoming episodes focusing on Pascal's philosophical masterpiece, the Pensées. Enjoy! | |||
| Episode 1: Pascal, Man as a Thinking Reed | 31 Jan 2026 | 00:20:31 | |
In this episode the podcast itself is introduced, along with a short reflection on Pascal's famous statement that man is "a thinking reed." | |||