Pascal's wager
- the argument put forth by Blaise Pascal that it is in one's best interest to believe in the existence of God, as it is a rational assumption and does no harm, and the possibility of eternal punishment in hell outweighs any advantage of believing otherwise.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Pascal's wager
- philosophy the argument that it is in one's rational self-interest to act as if God exists, since the infinite punishments of hell, provided they have a positive probability, however small, outweigh any countervailing advantage
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Word Origin
C17: named after Blaise Pascal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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