La subtile présence de Pascal dans la phénoménologie de Michel Henry

Abstract

In Michel Henry’s studies, the absence of Pascal in the phenomenology of life has been mentioned. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the author of Pensées is mentioned both in Henry’s main work, The Essence of Manifestation, and in his Christic trilogy, which showcases the radical limits of phenomenology. In this article, we aim to analyze the few explicit references that Henry makes to Pascal to demonstrate how the author of Pensées serves as one of the allies of the radical phenomenologist in the corroboration of two of his fundamental intuitions. (1) Firstly, that the self-affection of the « heart » precedes any hetero-affection where the objectifying reason is put into action; (2) Secondly, that the human person is realized in an inner experience where the « heart » lives the link with God, who gives our life in fullness. To believe in God is to have this experience. Consequently, Pascalian apologetics is translated in Henry’s phenomenological description of the immanent link to God understood as absolute life. In doing so, Henry distinguishes Pascal from Heidegger by highlighting that within our acosmic heart, what emerges is not a being-towards-death, but rather an ipseity-from-absolute-Life.