Pascal's Wager: Is Betting on God Irrational?
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NOTE: This will be an ONLINE EVENT ONLY.
Hello, folks.
You may have heard of the French philosopher Blaise Pascal, who is perhaps best known for his wager. If you are uncertain about God's existence, you should "bet" on God's existence. Why? If it turns out that God does exist, then this would be an infinite gain for you (a life of enduring, perfect happiness in the presence of a loving God). But if it turns out that God does not exist, then you will have lost nothing in the end (a finite loss). But if you bet that God doesn't exist and it turns out that you are correct, then your living life without God would be merely a finite gain (see the chart posted with this announcement).
Is Pascal's wager rational? Is there a flaw in it? What assumptions does it make? We'll discuss the ins-and-outs of this intriguing thought experiment. But what is clear is that this question is not of moderate importance. One's worldview is not neutral. It reflects a volitional stance, and we'll talk about that too.
Help support: If you have benefited from Socrates Cafe, your support would be much appreciated. My wife and I pay $180 twice a year to host this. If you are able to give, Zelle is best. Here is the info: Jacqueline Copan, 561-603-0050. Thank you!
Although I am out of town, I wanted to schedule an event for this coming Sunday. (Sorry about the short notice. The contingencies of my schedule just got clarified today!)
Here is the Teams link to use: https://tinyurl.com/wrxy4vs4 . If you haven't used Teams before, join us a bit earlier so that the kinks can be worked it, although it isn't too complicated.
