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Is Pascal A Safe Bet?, Bradley Mumford

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

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 …