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)