Pascal

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Pascals wager

• Blaise Pascal (French, 1623-1662)
• At age 16, formulated one of the basic theorems
  of projective geometry, known as Pascals theorem
• 1642 - invented the first mechanical adding
  machine
• 1648 - proved Torricellis sea of air hypothesis

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Pascals wager
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Pascals wager

• 1654 - together with Pierre de Fermat, formulated
  the mathematical theory of probability
• The famous wager, from the Pensées (1670)
• God is infinitely incomprehensible and
  completely transcendent, completely different
  than us.

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Pascals wager

• How, then, can faith in Gods existence be
  justified?
• Reason cannot decide, but we must make a choice.
  Refusing to choose is itself a choice with
  immense consequences.
• What choice should we make?

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Pascals wager

• The wager
• A. If one bets that God exists, then there are
  two possible outcomes
• (1) God exists (one wins the bet) one gains
  much -- one enjoys eternal bliss.
• (2) God does not exist (one loses the bet) one
  loses very little.

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Pascals wager

• B. If one bets that God does not exist, the
  outcomes are
• (3) God does not exist (one wins the bet) one
  gains very little.
• (4) God does exist (one loses the bet) the
  consequences are immense -- eternal loss.

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Pascals wager

• Now comparing A B, we see that the choice is
  clear. Choose A.
• Final piece of advice
• What should we advise a person who wishes to
  believe but cannot?
• Act as if you believe, taking the holy water,
  having masses said, etc. (65).

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Pascals wager

• Critical evaluation of Pascals wager
• Comment This is not an argument for the
  existence of God (as a truth-claim) reason by
  itself cannot tell us whether God exists.
• Rather it is an argument for the justification of
  faith in the existence of God. He offers a
  reason why we ought to believe in God.

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Pascals wager

• Does the fact that the wager is practically
  useful mean that it is true? Claims can be
  useful, but false (e.g., wolves are vicious).
• Pascals conception of God -- God is so far
  beyond that he cannot be known hence the need
  to resort to the wager. This conception of God
  is contrary to Judaism, Christianity, Islam.

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Pascals wager

• Does Pascals conception of the Jewish
  Christian God one-sided? Does it emphasize some
  attributes of God without considering others?

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Pascals wager

• William James objection The wager does not
  work without a predisposition to believe.