Pascal's Wager by Paul Bartha

Pascal's Wager by Paul Bartha

In his famous Wager, Blaise Pascal (1623-62) offers the reader an argument that it is rational to strive to believe in God. Philosophical debates about this classic argument have continued until our own times. This volume provides a comprehensive examination of Pascal's Wager, including its theological framework, its place in the history of philosophy, and its importance to contemporary decision theory. The volume starts with a valuable primer on infinity and decision theory for students and non-specialists. A sequence of chapters then examines topics including the Wager's underlying theology, its influence on later philosophical figures, and contemporary analyses of the Wager including Alan H jek's challenge to its validity, the many gods objection, and the ethics of belief. The final five chapters explore various ways in which the Wager has inspired contemporary decision theory, including questions related to infinite utility, imprecise probabilities, and infinitesimals.

'Given the importance of Pascal's wager, both intrinsically and in terms of its historical influence, this book is an important contribution to the literature' B. T. Harding, Choice

Paul Bartha is Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. He is the author of By Parallel Reasoning: The Construction and Evaluation of Analogical Arguments (2010). Lawrence Pasternack is Professor of Philosophy at Oklahoma State University. His publications include Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Kant on Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (2013).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781316632659
ISBN 10	1316632652
Title	Pascal's Wager
Author	Paul Bartha
Series	Classic Philosophical Arguments
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	2018-10-18
Number of pages	346
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.