Pascal's Wager

Pascal's Wager: Philosophical Argument on Existence

Discover the 17th-century philosophical argument made by Blaise Pascal, which posits a wager on God's existence and its potential benefits.

What is Pascal's Wager?

Pascal's Wager is a philosophical argument made by 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is an argument in apologetic philosophy that attempts to provide a rational basis for belief in God, rather than relying strictly on empirical arguments. The wager posits that humans bet with their lives that God either exists or does not exist. Given the possibility that God exists and the potential rewards and consequences of believing or not believing, a rational person should live as though God exists and seek to believe in God. If God does not actually exist, such a person will have only a finite loss (giving up some worldly pleasures), whereas if God does exist, he stands to receive infinite gains (as represented by eternity in Heaven) and avoid infinite losses (an eternity in Hell).

Pascal argues that there is more expected value in believing in the existence of God than not believing. And given the potentially infinite gains or losses associated with the wager, a rational person should seek to believe in and worship God on that basis. The wager is also known as Pascal's Gambit.

While influential in religious philosophy for centuries and considered a legitimate argument for belief, critics of Pascal's Wager point out potential flaws in its underlying assumptions and logic. The wager has nevertheless sparked much discussion and debate about the rational justification for religious belief.

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