We must  know where to doubt, where to affirm and where to submit when necessary. Whoever does not do this does not understand the force of reason. There are some who fall short of these three principles, either by affirming that everything can be demonstrated, lacking all knowledge of the demonstration, or doubting everything, lacking the knowledge of where to submit, or by submitting to everything, lack the knowledge of where to discriminate.

pascal, pensée 201


and just like that, pascal wipes away the arguments of descartes and most of modern/postmodern mathematical theory. beautiful.