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Pascal's wager
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noun
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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Origin of Pascal's wager
First recorded in 1895ā1900; named after Pascal, who formulated his proposition in his PensĆ©es
Words nearby Pascal's wager
Pascal, Blaise, Pascal's law, Pascal's limaƧon, Pascal's theorem, Pascal's triangle, Pascal's wager, Pasch, paschal, paschal candle, paschal flower, Paschal I
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use Pascal's wager in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for Pascal's wager
Pascal's wager
noun
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
Word Origin for Pascal's wager
C17: named after Blaise Pascal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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