Qui Adheret Deo Unus Spiritus Est: The Discursive Role of the Body Metaphor in Pascal’s Pensées – A Study
Csenge Aradi

Abstract
This paper presents an attempt to make an in-depth analysis of the body metaphor in Blaise Pascal’s apologetic work Pensées. The study focused on the body metaphor elaborated in fragments 474 to 485, and it aimed at (1) analyzing its structure within the framework of Cognitive Metaphor Theory (CMT); (2) examining its role in the creation of coherence within the text; and (3) place it within 17th century philosophical and religious context. The CMT analysis implies that this particular occurence of the body metaphor in Pensées constitutes a fundamental building block in establishing the persuasive power and coherence of the text. Also, its structure corresponds to Pascal’s theory on the role of the body in cognition. As to the larger cultural context, it can be concluded that the metaphor fits into the dominating Extended Great Chain of Being model of the era.

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