Pascal's wager

E144287
argument from decision theory philosophical argument pragmatic argument

Pascal's wager is a philosophical argument by Blaise Pascal that posits it is rational to live as if God exists, because the potential gains of belief outweigh the potential losses.

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All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Pascal's wager canonical 3
Pascal's Wager 1
Pascalian wager 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf argument from decision theory ⓘ
philosophical argument ⓘ
pragmatic argument ⓘ
addressesQuestion whether it is rational to believe in God ⓘ
assumes belief in God may lead to eternal happiness if God exists ⓘ
non-belief may lead to loss of eternal happiness if God exists ⓘ
the choice between believing in God and not believing in God ⓘ
basedOn decision theory ⓘ
expected value reasoning ⓘ
centralClaim even if the probability of God's existence is small, belief can be rational ⓘ
the potential gains of believing in God outweigh the potential losses ⓘ
concludes a rational agent should choose to believe in God ⓘ
criticizedBy J. L. Mackie ⓘ
Voltaire ⓘ
William James ⓘ
criticizedFor ignoring evidential justification for belief ⓘ
oversimplifying possible religious options ⓘ
the many-gods objection ⓘ
treating belief as a mere pragmatic choice ⓘ
field decision theory ⓘ
epistemology ⓘ
philosophy of religion ⓘ
formulatedBy Blaise Pascal ⓘ
formulatedInCentury 17th century ⓘ
formulatedInLanguage French ⓘ
formulatedInWork Pensées ⓘ
hasAlternativeName Pascal's wager ⓘ
surface form: Pascalian wager

Pascal's wager ⓘ
surface form: the Wager
hasAuthor Blaise Pascal ⓘ
hasComponent comparison of finite and infinite payoffs ⓘ
matrix of possible outcomes of belief and non-belief ⓘ
hasInfluenceOn analytic philosophy treatments of belief and decision ⓘ
discussions of rational faith ⓘ
modern philosophy of religion ⓘ
hasInterpretation as a prudential argument rather than an evidential one ⓘ
as an argument for adopting religious practices ⓘ
hasNameOrigin Blaise Pascal ⓘ
historicalContext Catholic apologetics in 17th-century France ⓘ
influenced The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy ⓘ
surface form: William James's "The Will to Believe"

pragmatic arguments for religious belief ⓘ
proposes it is rational to live as if God exists ⓘ
relatedConcept decision under uncertainty ⓘ
expected utility theory (with John von Neumann) ⓘ
surface form: expected utility theory

pragmatic justification of belief ⓘ
religious apologetics ⓘ
usesConcept cost–benefit analysis ⓘ
infinite utility ⓘ
probability ⓘ

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Blaise Pascal → notableIdea → Pascal's wager ⓘ
Blaise Pascal → knownFor → Pascal's wager ⓘ
Pascal → knownFor → Pascal's wager ⓘ
subject surface form: Blaise Pascal
Pensées → notableIdea → Pascal's wager ⓘ
this entity surface form: Pascal's Wager
Pascal's wager → hasAlternativeName → Pascal's wager ⓘ
this entity surface form: the Wager
Pascal's wager → hasAlternativeName → Pascal's wager ⓘ
this entity surface form: Pascalian wager