Pascal's Wager Quiz
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Questions and Answers

According to Pascal, what sort of argument does he offer for belief in God?

  • Pragmatic (correct)
  • Epistemic
  • Ontological
  • Cosmological
  • What is the 'many gods' objection to Pascal’s wager?

  • It relies on empirical evidence
  • It assumes a specific concept of God
  • It disregards the existence of multiple gods (correct)
  • It contradicts Pascal's fundamental principle
  • 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 (correct)
  • By proposing a new wager for each god
  • By emphasizing personal experience over rationality
  • By dismissing the objection as irrelevant
  • 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.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does Pascal insist that 'you must bet' either on the existence of God or the non-existence of God?

    <p>To highlight the consequences of indecision</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one way that Pascal could respond to the 'many gods' objection to his argument?

    <p>By arguing that the potential rewards of believing in the Christian God outweigh the potential rewards of believing in other gods</p> Signup and view all the answers

    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?

    <p>Forced: The decision is inevitable, Live: The decision is relevant to one's life, Momentous: The decision has significant consequences</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does Pascal insist that 'you must bet' either on the existence of God or the non-existence of God?

    <p>Because he argues that indecision on the matter has eternal consequences</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Clifford contrasts two shipowners. The first shipowner is blameworthy because his action kills many people. Why is the second blameworthy according to Clifford?

    <p>Because he was aware of the risk but chose to believe in the safety of the ship</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Clifford’s fundamental principle governing rational belief?

    <p>The principle of the ethics of belief</p> Signup and view all the answers

    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.

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    Related Documents

    Phil 134 Study Guide PDF

    Description

    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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