Either one can believe that God exists, or that he/she/it doesn't. Pascal maintains his initial point by claiming that "reason is no more affronted by choosing one rather than the other," but goes on to explain that it is more probable to believe God exists. He does this by weighing the potential reward of eternal happiness if one believes and God exists against the impending doom that one is to face if there is a God and one does not believe. In comparison to this, Pascal pits the potential minimal gain if one does not believe in God and he/she/it does not exist against the negligible loss one would have if one did believe. Because there is much to gain and little to lose by believing in God, and much to lose and little to gain, Pascal believes that is reason enough to have faith. He declares that "you must be renouncing reason if you hoard your life rather than risk it for an infinite gain," this justifies the choice that one would make of believing in God by accusing those who do not believe as unreasonable. .
Pascal also addresses certain holdups of Christianity in an attempt to assure those who believe or wish to believe that God exists that their faith will be justified. First he tends to those who might not be able to believe in God by trying to convince them that it is not their fault, and that there are ways you can get around true belief. He addresses a dialogue that could take place between him and a skeptic. The skeptic realizes that he/she is bound to wager in one direction, and that because of this he/she cannot believe. Pascal attributes this to certain passions that one may have. He states that "if you are unable to believe, it is because of your passions, since reason impels you to believe and yet you cannot do so," and the only thing one must do to overcome this is to diminish these certain passions. If this still does not work, Pascal claims that one should follow the ways that others have approached religion.
Pascal had two sisters named Gilberte and Etienne, who thought of him as a prodigy. ... At the age of twelve Pascal figured out a concept of Euclidean geometry by himself. ... Pascal also came up with an arithmetical triangle known as Pascal's Triangle. ... Pascal's Wager expresses that the conviction in the belief in God is rational. ... On the night of November 23, 1654 a great change came over Pascal. ...
As Pascal states, "Men despise religion. ... Realizing this they have taken to diversions" (Pascal 4). ... As Pascal states, "There no doubt exist natural laws, but once this fine reason of ours was corrupted, it corrupted everything" (Pascal 16). ... Pascal muses, "We must keep silence as far as we can and only talk to ourselves about God, whom we know to be true, and thus convince ourselves that he is" (Pascal 26). ... Faith comes forth in two possible ways according to Pascal. ...
Blaise Pascal believes God as an infinite, something that we do not know. ... Pascal thought we know the existence of the infinite, but are ignorant of its nature, because it has extensions like us but not limits like us. ... With this Pascal summarizes that because God has no affinity to us, we are incapable of knowing either what He is or if He is. According to Pascal's Wager, the existence of God cannot be known one way or the other, because of the fact the God is unknowable. Pascal thought that it made more sense to believe in the existence of God, than to not believe. ...
In section IV of Penées by Blaise Pascal. ... Pascal finds this somewhat amusing but not surprising. ... Pascal says there are three sources of belief: reason, custom and inspiration. If you look at the Christian religion as said by Pascal, " Which alone has reason, does not acknowledge as her true children those who believe without inspiration."" ... In conclusion, for one to find faith in God one must be susceptible to simple arguments like there is a God because he is our whole reason for existing and he encompasses everything surrounding you, or you are harder to convince you shoul...
Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal was a great mathematician from the 17th Century. ... But Pascal at first was not allowed to study mathematics. ... Pascal read the book and mastered it. ... In 1654, when Pascal was 31 he created "Pascal's Triangle-. ... Pascal died in 1662 at the age of 39 of cancer. ...
Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal was born on June 19, 1623 in Clermont-Ferrand, France and died August 19, 1662 of stomach cancer. ... Pascal's triangle? ... So this proves that Pascal was a genius. ... Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), http://www.maths.tcd.ie/pub/HistMath/People/Pascal/RouseBall/RB_Pascal.html, 7/19/01 2. Blaise Pascal, http://www.search.com/click'sl,marin.1.118.142.0.5.%22Blaise+Pascal%22.0,http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecis%2Eum%2Eedu%2Emt%2F%7Ejskl%2Fbpascal%2Ehtml, 7/20/01 3. 1640 AD Blaise Pascal's Arithmetic Machine, http://www.maxmon.com/1640ad.htm, 7/20/01 Blaise P...
Over all Pascal's Wager is very logical, but I must say that I do not personally find it to be very persuasive. ... Pascal's Wager offers no more than this as to why one should believe in god. ... In a way Pascal is making the same exact threat, follow and believe in God and you will go to heaven, but if you don't then you will pay dearly, granted there is a God. ... Leaving the entire thing as an empty threat, which in many cases is how Pascal's Wager is viewed. ... Over all I do not find Pascal's Wager very persuasive. ...
"The Wager" by Blaise Pascal Pascal brings the readers to his level, or tries to explain his thought process. ... The heart wants to be happy, and according to Pascal being a Christian brings you happiness. The ways of the secular world will not allow you to be a complete person full of joy and love: the ways of the secular world will, in relation to Pascal and "The Wager", not lead to happiness. ...
An Analysis of Wagering On God by Blaise Pascal Wagering On God is a persuasive essay written by Blaise Pascal in the 17th century. ... Pascal then goes on to say that we must wager and it is not a choice for one to make. ... Pascal returns to his question of if there is a God and whether we should wager for or against it. ... These points are considered true in the thesis only after the "game" Pascal refers to is understood. ... Pascal does have very strong arguments to support his thesis...
