Pascal's Wager

Daniel Garber

doi:10.1002/9781119009924.eopr0292

Pascal's Wager

Daniel Garber

Philosophy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Pascal's Wager is a celebrated argument that uses practical reasoning borrowed from games of chance to establish that one should believe in a Christian God, formulated by Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) in what was posthumously published as his Pensées (1670). Unlike most standard proofs for the existence of God, the argument establishes not that God exists, but that it is pragmatically better for us to believe than not. The entry explores the structure of the argument, how it works and what conclusion it draws, and some standard objections to the argument.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	The Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Religion
Publisher	wiley
Pages	1-7
Number of pages	7
ISBN (Electronic)	9781119009924
ISBN (Print)	9781119010951
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119009924.eopr0292
State	Published - Jan 1 2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Arts and Humanities

Keywords

decision theory
evidentialism
faith
fideism
God, arguments for the existence of
infinity
Pascal's Wager
Pascal, Blaise

Access to Document

10.1002/9781119009924.eopr0292

Cite this

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ER -

Pascal's Wager

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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