Date of Award

5-2006

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Languages, Philosophy and Communication Studies

Abstract

The philosophical writings of Blaise Pascal may have passed completely unnoticed had it not been for the inclusion of his famous "wager". "Pascal's wager", as it has come to be known, has drawn a great deal of commentary and criticism over the years and it has stirred up excitement and speculation over Pascal's intended message. Many critics think his field of possibilities is too narrow. Some critics say that he allows for too few options, while others argue over the validity of his conclusion. In this essay we will discuss a number of the criticisms of Pascal's wager that have been brought forth previously, as well as introduce some new ones. We shall consider alternative interpretations of Pascal's idea, and weigh the outcomes of each. We will analyze Pascal's idea from a traditional Christian perspective, citing passages from many writers to support the arguments.

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Faculty Mentor

Charlie Huenemann

Departmental Honors Advisor

Gordon Steinhoff