Difference between revisions of "Pascal's wager"
(explaining Pascal's logic in slightly more detail) |
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#If God does exist and you do believe in God, you will receive an eternity in heaven. | #If God does exist and you do believe in God, you will receive an eternity in heaven. | ||
| − | [[Blaise Pascal]] reasoned that, given the relative gains and losses for each scenario, the only sensible course for a rational human being was to believe in God. Pascal's wager as Pascal stated is inherently flawed within the context of Christianity, because within Christian theology, mere belief in God does not ensure salvation. | + | [[Blaise Pascal]] reasoned that, given the relative gains and losses for each scenario, the only sensible course for a rational human being was to believe in God since the potentially infinite gains and losses which occur if God exists outway the at most finite gains and losses if God does not exist, regardless of what probability one asigns to God's existence(as long as that probability is greater than 1). Pascal's wager as Pascal stated is inherently flawed within the context of Christianity, because within many forms of Christian theology, mere belief in God does not ensure salvation. |
Pascal's wager becomes even more flawed if viewed by someone who has the choice of more beliefs, such as "God A Exists", "God B Exists", "No Gods Exits", and "All the Gods of Pantheon X Exist". How do you choose then? | Pascal's wager becomes even more flawed if viewed by someone who has the choice of more beliefs, such as "God A Exists", "God B Exists", "No Gods Exits", and "All the Gods of Pantheon X Exist". How do you choose then? | ||
Revision as of 23:17, July 14, 2007
Pascal's Wager is a philosophical proposition which takes the following form:
God either exists or not.
- If God does not exist and you do not not believe in God, you gain the freedom to do whatever you want without penalty.
- If God does exist and you do not believe in God, you are condemned to an eternity in hell.
- If God does not exist and you do believe in God, you will have wasted part of your life.
- If God does exist and you do believe in God, you will receive an eternity in heaven.
Blaise Pascal reasoned that, given the relative gains and losses for each scenario, the only sensible course for a rational human being was to believe in God since the potentially infinite gains and losses which occur if God exists outway the at most finite gains and losses if God does not exist, regardless of what probability one asigns to God's existence(as long as that probability is greater than 1). Pascal's wager as Pascal stated is inherently flawed within the context of Christianity, because within many forms of Christian theology, mere belief in God does not ensure salvation.
Pascal's wager becomes even more flawed if viewed by someone who has the choice of more beliefs, such as "God A Exists", "God B Exists", "No Gods Exits", and "All the Gods of Pantheon X Exist". How do you choose then?
