The Gambler’s Argument: Pascal’s Wager
Summary
Pascals wager, which is derived from the writings of the philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623–62),
is not to provide proof of gods existence, but rather to show that a sensible gambler would ‘bet’ that God exists.
The Gambler’s Argument proceeds as follows. Since we do not know whether or not God exists, we are in the same position as a gambler before a card is turned. We therefore must calculate the odds for the most likely scenario so we don’t lose out in life.
There are four possible outcomes;
If we bet on the existence of God and win, then we gain eternal life.
If we bet on this option and lose, then we miss out on certain worldly pleasures, waste many hours praying, and live our lives under an illusion.
However, if we choose to bet on the option that God doesn’t exist, and we win, then we live a life without illusion and are free to indulge in the pleasures of this life without fear of divine punishment.
But if we bet on this option and lose, then we miss the chance of eternal life, and may even run the risk of eternal damnation.
Pascal argued that, as gamblers faced with these options, the most rational course of action for us is to believe that God does exist.
