What is Pascal's Wager??

Question

I keep hearing people mention it on here and I have no idea what it is. Could someone explain?

Answer 1

He says what if God really exists...

Answer 2

Blaise Pascal argued that it is a better "bet" to believe in God than not to do so.
The name is somewhat misleading, for in a single paragraph of his Pensées, Pascal apparently presents at least three such arguments, each of which might be called a ‘wager’ — it is only the final of these that is traditionally referred to as "Pascal's Wager. the three wagers are: the justification of theism; probability theory and decision theory,
1)pragmatism;
2)voluntarism (the thesis that belief is a matter of the will); and
3) the use of the concept of infinity.
One of the concepts of Pascals wager that I am in agreement with is that, given the potential gain or loss involved, one should at the very least, investigate with an open mind the possibility of the existence of God and search for him.
Some quotes from Pascal:

“Wager that God exists; if you win, you win everything, if you lose, you lose nothing.” (The most famous one)

” Of a truth, swinging the sword of persecution against persons of a differing religious persuasion has been characteristic of false religion ever since Cain struck down Abel"

“Jesus said great things so simply that he seems not to have thought about them, and yet so clearly that it is obvious that he thought about them. Such clarity together with such simplicity is wonderful.”

“I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it short.”

Here is another most atheists here agree with:
“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”

Answer 3

Pascal's Wager posits that it is a better "bet" to believe that God exists than not to believe, because the expected value of believing (which Pascal assessed as infinite) is always greater than the expected value of not believing. In Pascal's assessment, it is inexcusable not to investigate this issue:

Answer 4

As mentioned, Pascal's notes were incomplete so we don't really know what he would have published but undoubtedly he would never have thought he could get people to believe in God though a wager.

Pascal probably meant to open a line of reasoning concerning the worth of God and the reason for seeking God even if we don't know for sure that He exists.

One often heard objection: Which god to seek? The answer: The one who created us. We all know that love is somehow better than hate; mercy better than merciless; justice better than injustice, compassion better than indifference. If my Creator exists, undoubtedly He put that knowledge within me So we ought to seek a loving, merciful, just and compassionate God who wants us to seek Him.

Another objection: What if we seek the wrong god? Answer: the just and merciful Creator that we seek will forgive an honest mistake.

If our Creator exists, He will see through any ploys we make. If we are honestly in error, I think He will forgive us but we won't be able to deceive Him.

Answer 5

Pascal's Wager is the application by the French philosopher, Blaise Pascal, of decision theory to the belief in God (also known as Pascal's Gambit). It was set out in the Pensées, a posthumous collection of notes made by Pascal towards his unfinished treatise on Christian apologetics.

The Wager posits that it is a better "bet" to believe that God exists than not to believe, because the expected value of believing (which Pascal assessed as infinite) is always greater than the expected value of not believing. In Pascal's assessment, it is inexcusable not to investigate this issue:

Before entering into the proofs of the Christian religion, I find it necessary to point out the sinfulness of those men who live in indifference to the search for truth in a matter which is so important to them, and which touches them so nearly.[1].

Variations of this argument may be found in other religious philosophies, such as Islam, Hinduism, and even Buddhism. Pascal's Wager is also similar in structure to the precautionary principle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager

Answer 6

Blaise Pascal, a long dead mathematician once posited the following proposition:

Why not believe in god, even though he might not exist?
1) If he exists, then you go to heaven after you die
2) If he does not exist, then you go nowhere after you die anyway, and you have lost nothing.

The flaws to this argument are plenty:

1) What if you chose the wrong god (if they exist) to believe in?
2) Can a god (if he exists) be gamed in such a way?
3) Is living a life constantly worshipping a non-existent god really equal to losing nothing?

Answer 7

Pascal said if one has to choose between belief and non-belief in a diety, it's safer to be on the side of belief. If a diety doesn't exist it doesn't matter one way or the other, but if a diety does exist then you stand to lose everything as a non-believer and gain everything as a believer.

It's a lazy, wishy-washy, non-committal way of hedging your bets.

See link below for a more detailed explanation (and criticism).

Answer 8

A man named Pascal, said that isn't it better to believe in God just in case He does exist. If He doesn't than you haven't lost anything. I can't remember his first name, sorry. Someone will, I am sure.

Answer 9

An arguement FOR god belief. Thought up by me, a 17th century french philosopher.

It goes like this: If you believe in god and you're right, you gain heaven and if you're wrong you lose nothing. If you don't believe in god and you're right, you gain nothing and if you're wrong you lose heaven. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by believing in god.

It's bunk. Because I failed to take into consideration things like which god you should believe in and that you actually *do* lose a lot in that you spent your life believing in an untrue thing.

It's also a drinking game on here. Because so many christians trot it out, we drink whenever we hear it because it's less painful to hear repeatedly that way.

Answer 10

The question to whether you should hold a belief in god.

This is that you should belive that god does exist so you ont be disapointed. as if he doesn't exist you have lost nothing, as there is nothing and that is the end. wheras if god does exist then you will get into 'heaven' as you belive in god, rather than being sent to hell/limbo because you didnt belive in god.

Answer 11

if the flying spagehti monster is real then you should obey him to get into spaggetti heaven. If he is real than your obedience has been rewarded by eternal life and you win the wager, if he is not real then "what have you lost?" by obeying the flying spagetti monster. So if he is real or not you should obey him to hedge your bets on getting into heaven.