Pascal’s Wager

Abstract

This part of the book is mainly devoted to discussing the positive arguments we may develop in favor of Theism by making use of what we have learnt from our study of modern science. Perhaps the best known instance in which a result of modern science was employed to support Theism, is Pascal’s argument for Theism in which he makes use of what, nowadays, is called decision theory, a theory which he himself invented. I shall begin this part of our book by briefly reviewing Pascal’s fairly well-known argument as it will lead to the appreciation of a number of instructive points. Pascal devised his argument not to show that Theism is true but rather that, irrespective of whether it is true or not, a rational person should treat it as true, and most important, he should try to behave in every way as if he knew it to be true.