"Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) is one of the most renowned thinkers of the 17th century, and among the most neglected philosophers in the anglosphere today. Though he died before the age of 40, the breadth and depth of his accomplishments are staggering. He invented the first calculator (for which a popular programming language is named after him), conducted early experiments on the vacuum (for which a standard unit of pressure is named after him), made seminal contributions to mathematics including in the foundations of probability theory (for which, among other things, an array in combinatorics and algebra is named after him), conceived of the first metropolitan public transit scheme (the "five penny coach"), and was one of the most celebrated stylists of his day, writing popular polemics against the current Jesuit movement. You've almost certainly heard the name, in more than one intellectual context"-- Provided by publisher.