Preview

Pascal s Wager

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1065 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Pascal s Wager
Taylor Heppeler
March 25, 2014
Philosophy 110 Paper #2

Pascal’s Wager Pascal’s Wager is that of whether or not to believe in God. What are the benefits? What are the consequences? I will argue that Pascal’s Wager is indeed persuasive to believing in God due to the appeal of one’s emotions and desires. One may object that Pascal is not thoroughly persuasive regarding that the belief in God’s existence is greater than not believing, but I will continue to argue that it is, and it can only offer the better reward. Pascal lays out multiple outcomes that come with the belief in God. He also gives the outcomes of not believing in God so one may see the results in comparison to each other. He argues that by believing in God, if He does in fact exist, the rewards are infinite. In other words, by believing in God, there is an infinite amount of gain possible if He exists, but if he does not exist, there is only a finite amount of loss. Here, by comparison, the infinite amount of gain outweighs the finite amount of loss possible. Likewise, not believing in God’s existence will result in no gain or a finite loss if He turns out to exist. However, not believing and God not existing will result in only a finite gain. He finally explains that believing in God has a higher utility than not believing in God, and one should do that which has the higher expected utility. In these arguments, Pascal appeals to one’s desire to gain rather than to lose. In my opinion, I would rather have a finite loss and infinite gain possible rather than a finite gain and no loss. In other words, on a much smaller and less significant scale, we may compare this to playing the lottery with a 50% chance of winning. By putting forth five dollars, there is a chance that one can win a million dollars or only lose five dollars. By not playing the lottery for a chance to win the million dollars, there is no possible chance for gain and no loss at all. I would certainly rather have a 50% chance of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Argumentative Essay on “The Ethics of Belief” PHIL 2641 Online – Section 001 February 13, 2008…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Will to Believe

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the second portion of James’ essay, James brings up differences in how a person renders a hypothesis due to “the actual psychology of human opinion.” He implicates that we usually use our own “passional and volitional nature” to make our judgment or belief. However, a valid hypothesis for one person may not be equally valid in the eyes of another. Hence, James argues that our belief is composed of relation of ideas that we can see and cannot see. If the idea does not exist, we cannot assume that it is given based on our belief. To illustrate his point, James gives an example of Pascal’s wager, which conveys that we have a choice to either believe in God or to disbelieve in God. According to Pascal’s wager, if we choose to believe in God, we will be blessed eternally. In contrast, if we choose not to believe in God, we will lose. James, therefore, states that this example is not a living option. In other words, the hypothesis that Pascal has offered to us is…

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Pascal’s Wager is his attempt to justify the belief in God purely on appeal to possible personal gains. His argument is that it makes sense to believe in the God that is believed in by Christianity, therefore it makes sense for us to do so. Pascal believes that belief in God is the rational action to take, even if there is no evidence of God existing. In his work he finds various reasons to believe in God that are beneficial even if he/she does not exist. He also believes it is irrational to not believe in God. If you are an atheist you ultimately are missing out on the possibility of eternal happiness, because if there is no God you will not lose anything, but you will lose everything if there is a God.…

    • 1565 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In his article “The Ethics of Belief (Clifford, 1877) W.K. Clifford sought to argue that “it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence” (as cited on p190). The aim of this essay is to establish whether indeed this view offered by Clifford, when considering religious faith, is convincing. In order to do this I will consider the arguments that Clifford put forward, including that which to believe anything based upon insufficient evidence always does harm and so is wrong. Such a statement is in direct opposition to those religious believers who regard their blind faith as a virtue and for whom evidence is something that is unnecessary in order to believe. Along with discussing Clifford I will detail the responses given by James who disagreed with Clifford and in response attacked his views within his own paper “The Will to Believe”. James believed instead that it is more important to achieve truth than to avoid error. Both men, in my opinion, offer strong and persuasive arguments however I do not believe that either stands without criticism, therefore throughout I will offer my own views on the foundations of their arguments, which I hope will establish, that although many of Clifford’s points are valid in particular and specific circumstances they do not offer, as proposed, a convincing view of religious faith.…

    • 1810 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    One burning and enduring problem in philosophy to which we have given considerable examination is the question of the existence of God--the superlative being that philosophers have defined and dealt with for centuries. After reading the classic arguments of St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas, the contentious assertions of Ernest Nagel, and the compelling eyewitness accounts of Julian of Norwich, I have been introduced to some of the most revered and referenced arguments for and against God's existence that have been put into text. All of them are well-thought and well-articulated arguments, but they have their holes. The question of God's true existence, therefore, is still not definitively answered and put to rest; the intensity of this debate probably never will mitigate. Many theologians and academics honestly admit that no matter what any philosopher may assert regarding this topic, whether or not a certain person believes in God's existence is a question of faith and nothing more.…

    • 1537 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Response Paper

    • 1875 Words
    • 8 Pages

    H. J. McCloskey, a renowned philosopher in the mid 20th century, wrote a provocative article in 1968 titled, “On Being an Atheist”. McCloskey argues for atheism as the preferred and better belief system based upon his refutation of the theistic arguments. He argues against the existence of God by attempting to refute the cosmological and teleological arguments; as well he endeavours to discredit a God based upon the presence of evil. In doing this, he extends the boundaries for arguing God, whilst opening the floor to debate free will and the apparent comfort of the atheistic belief system. However, through careful analysis of the arguments for God, and an insight into the mysterious free will that God has given man; we see that a theistic belief is logically more sound and preferred.…

    • 1875 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Does Clifford present a persuasive viewpoint of religious faith? In his article “The Ethics of Belief (Clifford, 1877) W.K. Clifford sought to claim that it is inappropriate always, in all places, and for anyone, to believe anything upon unsatisfactory evidence. The goal of this paper is to determine whether indeed this opinion offered by Clifford, when considering religious faith, is persuasive. To successfully do this, I will weigh up the arguments that Clifford put forward, including that of disbelieving anything based upon scarce evidence, it always does damage and therefore is wrong. Such an assertion is in direct conflict to those pious believers who consider their blind faith as a goodness and for whom proof is something that is needless…

    • 1524 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    1. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the argument for the existence of God based on religious experience. (18) 2. ‘The argument merely indicates the probability of God and this is of little value to a religious believer.’ Discuss. (12)…

    • 2406 Words
    • 69 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In this paper, I hope to effectively summarize W.K Clifford’s (1879) argument on the ethics of belief, followed by a summary of William James’ (1897) argument on the right to believe, and finally, provide an argument for why W.K Clifford’s (1879) argument is stronger by highlighting its strengths while simultaneously arguing against William James’ (1897) argument.…

    • 2507 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Existence of God

    • 1241 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In chapter eight, Pascal writes, “…for nothing is certain, and that there is more certainty in religion than there is as to whether we may see to-morrow; for it is not certain that we may see to-morrow, and it is certainly possible that we may not see it.” I found this to be a good argument and it caught my interest because I have never taken this into consideration before. There are many things that people do even though they are uncertain of them. Religion is another example of how we can act on uncertainty. We are certain that tomorrow may never be seen, but we cannot be certain that God does not exist. Even though we are uncertain that we will see tomorrow, we still work for it. With religion, there is an…

    • 1241 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Pascal’s Wager was a groundbreaking theory posed by the French philosopher, mathematician, and physicist Blaise Pascal. Pascal, who is said to be the father of modern probability, felt that that religion should be approached as a gamble. It was one of the first efforts to incorporate the concept of infinity. The wager stated that, even though the existence of God cannot be determined through reason, one should wager as though God exists, because living accordingly, has essentially nothing to lose and experiences can only be beneficial. Pascal’s Wager consists of three arguments. The first is the argument from super dominance. Pascal wrote: “God is, or He is not. But to which side shall we incline? Reason can decide nothing here. Which will you choose then? Let us see. Since you must choose, let us see which interests you least. Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is.” In this quote, Pascal is implying that there is a possibility God exists, if one assumes God exists and he indeed does, then one has gained everything, perhaps heaven. However, if God does not exist then one has lost nothing. The Bible would merely be a mistake and He would not exist, along with Heaven or the like. Regardless, it is best to take the gamble because there is nothing to lose, according to Pascal. Pascal’s next argument was the argument from expectation. He supported this argument when he wrote: “Let us see. Since there is an equal risk of gain and of loss, if you only had to gain two lives, instead of one, you might still wager. But if there were three lives to gain, you would have to play (since you are under the necessity of playing), and you would be imprudent, when you are forced to play, not to chance your life to gain three at a game where there is an equal risk of loss and gain. But there is an eternity of life and…

    • 2458 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Th Prince

    • 859 Words
    • 4 Pages

    [P]eople are by nature changeable. It is easy to persuade them about some particular matter, but it is hard to hold them to that persuasion. Hence it is necessary to provide that when they no longer believe, they can be forced to believe.…

    • 859 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Published in 1670 and named after French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal; the philosophical theory of Pascal’s Wager reasons that to believe in God is a decision made in a time of uncertainty. The Wager also explains that whether or not God exists, we can estimate the outcome; an infinite reward or an infinite punishment. This suggests that the rational choice to live as if God exists is the better of the possible choices; yet, through reason alone, one cannot come to the knowledge of God’s existence.…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In his arguments, Pascal attempts to illustrate the attractiveness of Christianity by describing the human condition as one of inconstancy, boredom, and anxiety when we are distant from God. In a situation without God, humans are caught in a state of uncertainty, with no stable foundation upon which a meaningful and joyous life can be founded. We are inconstant in that we find it difficult to commit ourselves to a certain issue, only partially devoting our time and thought. Since God is the ultimate ontological good that humanity seeks, without God we are left restless and dissatisfied. Thus, we quickly become bored with our present existence, forever seeking diversions and vain pleasures that might fill the void within us. However, we are ever restless and unhappy until God completes us. As a result, the more inconstancy and boredom we feel, the more anxious we get in trying to obtain some sort of satisfaction in…

    • 3555 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pascal Wager's Argument

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The existence of God has always been a commonly asked question in the world today. Since there is no scientifically proven answer, arguments have been accumulated over time. One being the Pascal Wager’s argument. This theory states that either God exists or God does not exist, you can either wager for God or wager against God. This belief advocates the belief in God rather than providing evidence. Does Pascal's Wager commit the fallacy of appealing to consequences?…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays