Re: Bayesians & Pascal's wager

From: Elias Sinderson (elias@cse.ucsc.edu)
Date: Wed Aug 31 2005 - 11:27:46 MDT


Phil Goetz wrote:

> [...] How does a Bayesian deal with Pascal's wager, assuming that they
> assign a non-zero probability to Christianity's claims regarding
> heaven and hell being true, and an infinite positive reward with
> eternal heaven and an infinite negative reward with eternal damnation?

That's a big assumption, but one without which the question is meaningless.

>Assume there are no other religions being proposed.
>
Again, a big assumption, but I'll swallow that pill as well in order to
answer your question as formulated. The only possible answer within the
stated context, is that one must accept 'accept jeebus' and start
praying as if eternal salvation depended on it.

I'll note in passing that this is a most rediculous gedanken experiment.
One may as well pose the following: How does one keep their hat on,
assuming a strong wind and no gravity*? Further assume they are
quadrapelegic. One possible answer is to use a staple gun, and this
probably makes as much sense (or more) as the question asked above.

Regards,
Elias

* Yes, I know this is impossible, but suspend your disbelief for the
sake of the general argument.. . .



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