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- Apr 27, 2010
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go out (a day late) to the late Blaise Pascal, born June 19, 1623.
Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and theologian. A child prodigy, Pascal is credited with creating one of the first mechanical calculators. Additionally, he helped to expand on our knowledge of geometry and probability theory. He continued to work in mathematics and the natural sciences, despite being in poor health, right up to his early death in 1662.
Despite all his work in the sciences, Pascal is perhaps most remembered for his philosophical-religious argument known as Pascal's Wager. For those not familiar with it, the argument, in simple terms, goes something like this:
If you believe god exists, you accept and follow him. Your life of faith and servitude to god will be rewarded by going to heaven.
If you don't believe god exists, you should still follow him, because it is a safer bet. If you are wrong, you will be rewarded for living a good and faithful life by heaven. If you are right, you will still have lived a good and faithful life.
The actual argument is a much more complex probability matrix. However, even in his lifetime, Pascal's Wager faced a fair amount of criticism. Since then, it's been pretty much debunked, though there are still a number of Christian Apologists who fall back on it when cornered.
So at day's end, when you pop the top on a cold one or pour yourself a glass of wine, take a moment to send wishes into the nether regions of history for Blaise Pascal.
Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and theologian. A child prodigy, Pascal is credited with creating one of the first mechanical calculators. Additionally, he helped to expand on our knowledge of geometry and probability theory. He continued to work in mathematics and the natural sciences, despite being in poor health, right up to his early death in 1662.
Despite all his work in the sciences, Pascal is perhaps most remembered for his philosophical-religious argument known as Pascal's Wager. For those not familiar with it, the argument, in simple terms, goes something like this:
If you believe god exists, you accept and follow him. Your life of faith and servitude to god will be rewarded by going to heaven.
If you don't believe god exists, you should still follow him, because it is a safer bet. If you are wrong, you will be rewarded for living a good and faithful life by heaven. If you are right, you will still have lived a good and faithful life.
The actual argument is a much more complex probability matrix. However, even in his lifetime, Pascal's Wager faced a fair amount of criticism. Since then, it's been pretty much debunked, though there are still a number of Christian Apologists who fall back on it when cornered.
So at day's end, when you pop the top on a cold one or pour yourself a glass of wine, take a moment to send wishes into the nether regions of history for Blaise Pascal.
