Pascal's Wager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pascals Wager - Essay ExamplePascals Penses, then, is totally different from courtly reasoning since it endeavors to provide practical reasons for dogma in God. Taking the gamblers parlance, Pascal is saying that one should work that God exists because it is our best bet (Hajek). According to Ryan (1994), this line of reasoning has roots in the writings of Plato, Arnobius, Lactantius.Pascals wager, in a nutshell, is if you believe in God and he does not exist, you share the same fate as those who do not believe in God - last. However, if He does exist, you stand to gain salvation, while the freethinker still faces a static destiny - death. So the believer, technically, has nothing to lose and all to gain, while the atheist whether right or not about his or her wager will only face death in the end. Therefore it is only logical to wager on the choice that makes the most sense - belief in God. It, in a sense is a philosophical win-win situation.Pascal maintains that we are incapa ble of acute whether God exists or not, yet we must wager one way or the other. Reason cannot gentle which way we should incline, but a consideration of the relevant outcomes supposedly can.Pascals line of reasoning is intriguing.