10 Questions
According to Pascal, what sort of argument does he offer for belief in God?
Pragmatic
What is the 'many gods' objection to Pascal’s wager?
It disregards the existence of multiple gods
What is one way that Pascal could respond to the 'many gods' objection to his argument?
By arguing for the uniqueness of the Christian God
True or false: Pascal maintains that if you wager for God and lose, you will be no worse off than if you had wagered against God.
True
Why does Pascal insist that 'you must bet' either on the existence of God or the non-existence of God?
To highlight the consequences of indecision
What is one way that Pascal could respond to the 'many gods' objection to his argument?
By arguing that the potential rewards of believing in the Christian God outweigh the potential rewards of believing in other gods
According to James, it is rational to believe a proposition in the absence of evidence when the option is forced, live, and momentous. What do these conditions mean?
Forced: The decision is inevitable, Live: The decision is relevant to one's life, Momentous: The decision has significant consequences
Why does Pascal insist that 'you must bet' either on the existence of God or the non-existence of God?
Because he argues that indecision on the matter has eternal consequences
Clifford contrasts two shipowners. The first shipowner is blameworthy because his action kills many people. Why is the second blameworthy according to Clifford?
Because he was aware of the risk but chose to believe in the safety of the ship
What is Clifford’s fundamental principle governing rational belief?
The principle of the ethics of belief
Study Notes
Pascal's Wager
- Pascal offers a prudential argument for belief in God, where he weighs the potential benefits and risks of believing in God.
- The 'many gods' objection to Pascal's wager argues that there are many possible gods, and it is not clear which one to believe in.
Responding to the 'Many Gods' Objection
- One way Pascal could respond to the objection is to argue that the probability of one god existing is higher than the probability of multiple gods existing.
- Alternatively, Pascal could argue that the benefits of believing in one god outweigh the benefits of believing in multiple gods.
Pascal's Wager Conditions
- True: Pascal maintains that if you wager for God and lose, you will be no worse off than if you had wagered against God.
- Pascal insists that 'you must bet' either on the existence of God or the non-existence of God because the option is forced, live, and momentous.
William James' Conditions
- According to James, it is rational to believe a proposition in the absence of evidence when the option is:
- Forced: The decision cannot be avoided.
- Live: The decision has a significant impact on the believer's life.
- Momentous: The decision has significant consequences.
Clifford's Principle
- Clifford contrasts two shipowners, where the first shipowner is blameworthy because his action kills many people.
- The second shipowner is blameworthy because he neglects to inspect his ship, despite having the opportunity to do so, and his action also kills many people.
- Clifford's fundamental principle governing rational belief is that it is wrong to believe anything without sufficient evidence.
Test your knowledge of Pascal's argument for belief in God with this study guide. Answer questions about the pragmatic and epistemic aspects of Pascal's wager, the 'many gods' objection, and Pascal's potential responses. See if you can determine whether statements about the consequences of wagering for or against God are true or false.
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