PHL105Y5 Lecture 20: Lecture 1 Nov 28
Document Summary
Pascal was a french mathematician, physicist and philosopher. His most discussed philosophical idea is known as pascal"s wager. Some philosophers (like anselm) think that the existence of god can be proven from relflection on pure concepts. Other philosophers (like aquinas) think the existence of god can be proven starting from observations of the world. Still other philosophers think that humans cannot prove the existence of god. Some of these (like pascal) nevertheless think we should believe in god. Pas(cid:272)al(cid:859)s sta(cid:396)ti(cid:374)g poi(cid:374)t: (cid:862)ou(cid:396) soul has (cid:271)ee(cid:374) (cid:272)ast i(cid:374)to the (cid:271)od(cid:455), (cid:449)he(cid:396)e it fi(cid:374)ds (cid:374)u(cid:373)(cid:271)e(cid:396), time and dimension. We are good at reasoning about finite numbers, and judging or comparing finite things. A(cid:272)(cid:272)o(cid:396)di(cid:374)g to pas(cid:272)al, (cid:449)e (cid:272)a(cid:374)(cid:374)ot u(cid:374)de(cid:396)sta(cid:374)d the i(cid:374)fi(cid:374)ite: (cid:862)u(cid:374)it(cid:455) added to infinity adds nothing to it, any more than does one foot add infinite length. The finite is annhiliated in prescence of the infinite, and becomes pure nothingness. But we do not know what is is.
