Department of Philosophy
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
SEMINAR
Stuart Brock
Victoria University of Wellington
Religious Fictionalism and Pascal’s Wager
Abstract
In this paper I re-examine Pascal’s famous pragmatic argument (Pascal’s Wager) in support of wagering for God, first introduced in Pensées, Part III, §233. My aim is twofold. First, I consider whether Pascal is best interpreted as advocating a version of (revolutionary) fictionalism about the Christian religion. Although I ultimately conclude that Pascal should not be interpreted this way, his views are remarkably close to the religious fictionalist’s, and in a sense, his views may be thought of as a precursor to religious fictionalism. Second, I consider how a contemporary fictionalist might adapt Pascal’s argument. Although the new ‘fictionalist’ wager suffers from many of the same problems as Pascal’s original wager, it is not vulnerable to them all. In particular, fictionalists can dodge a thorny problem first raised by Antony Duff (1986).
Thursday, 27 September
4:00 – 5:30 pm Room 10.27 Run Run Shaw Tower
Centennial Campus
University of Hong Kong
For inquiries: Jennifer Nado (nado@hku.hk)