Over three hundred fifty years ago, and early in his career, the French mathematician perfected a machine that could perform basic mathematical functions including fractions and even square roots. Though made redundant by the invention of logarithms and the cheapness of labor, his machine became a metaphor for his thoughts. Reflecting on the orders of reality, Pascal decribed three methods for proof: by miracles, by reason, and by “machine”; that is, by faith, reason, and habit, man can know God.

This material is an abstract of an undergraduate essay written for an introductory Computer Science course.