Pascal's Wager Expanded: Considerations for the Modern Era
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Garry Kenney
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
May 2025
End Date
May 2025
Location
PUB 323
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Religious Studies
Abstract
Pascal's Wager, published posthumously in Pensées, is an argument made by 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal regarding belief in the existence of God. Pascal argues that rational thinking leads to the conclusion that whether or not God exists, believing in God's existence and living accordingly is the best option. However, Pascal writes solely from the perspective of Christianity and does not consider other beliefs. The research presented here aims to expand Pascal's Wager to other religions and belief systems. Considerations are made toward other Abrahamic religions, religions which rely on reincarnation, non-believers, and beliefs without an afterlife.
Recommended Citation
Croskrey, Stephen, "Pascal's Wager Expanded: Considerations for the Modern Era" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 3.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/op_2025/o4_2025/3
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Pascal's Wager Expanded: Considerations for the Modern Era
PUB 323
Pascal's Wager, published posthumously in Pensées, is an argument made by 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal regarding belief in the existence of God. Pascal argues that rational thinking leads to the conclusion that whether or not God exists, believing in God's existence and living accordingly is the best option. However, Pascal writes solely from the perspective of Christianity and does not consider other beliefs. The research presented here aims to expand Pascal's Wager to other religions and belief systems. Considerations are made toward other Abrahamic religions, religions which rely on reincarnation, non-believers, and beliefs without an afterlife.
