Pascal's Flaw

A circular definition is one that assumes a prior understanding of the term being defined. For instance, we can define "oak" as a tree which has catkins and grows from an acorn, and then define "acorn" as the nut produced by an oak tree. To someone not knowing either which trees are oaks or which nuts are acorns, the definition is fairly useless. A circular definition occurred in an early definition of the kilogram. The kilogram was originally defined as the mass of one litre of water at standard pressure and the temperature at ...

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• Circular definition - Shortest possible circular definition

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This is shorter than the example most commonly cited: Recursion See "Recursion". not just because it uses shorter words, but also because the circularity kicks in one word earlier. ...

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Circular definition, Circular definition - Shortest possible circular definition

Read more here: » Circular definition: Encyclopedia II - Circular definition - Shortest possible circular definition

Before entering into the criticisms of the Wager, it is only fair to note, as is less widely known, that the wager was never intended to be a basis or reason for faith. The wager is found in an apologetic (his Pensées) aimed at those who didn't consider the question of God worth considering. The wager had the express intention of showing the "happy agnostic" the value and probable necessity of considering the question of God. Pascal has been severely criticized, for example by Voltaire. Some criticisms are summarized below:

Pascal's Wager, Pascal's Wager - Explanation, Pascal's Wager - Criticisms of Pascal's wager, Pascal's Wager - Assumes God rewards belief, Pascal's Wager - Assumes a Christian God, Pascal's Wager - Measure Theory, Pascal's Wager - Statistical arguments, Pascal's Wager - Many way tie, Pascal's Wager - Does not constitute a true belief, Pascal's Wager - Assumes one can choose belief, Pascal's Wager - Decision-theoretic arguments

Read more here: » Pascal's Wager: Encyclopedia II - Pascal's Wager - Criticisms of Pascal's wager

The Wager can be stated by the following explanation provided by Pascal in the Pensees-- "God is, or He is not. But to which side shall we incline? Reason can decide nothing here. There is an infinite chaos which separated us. A game is being played at the extremity of this infinite distance where heads or tails will turn up...Which will you choose then? Let us see. Since you must choose, let us see which interests you least. You have two things to lose, the true and the good; and two things to stake, your reason and your will, ...

See also:

Pascal's Wager, Pascal's Wager - Explanation, Pascal's Wager - Criticisms of Pascal's wager, Pascal's Wager - Assumes God rewards belief, Pascal's Wager - Assumes a Christian God, Pascal's Wager - Measure Theory, Pascal's Wager - Statistical arguments, Pascal's Wager - Many way tie, Pascal's Wager - Does not constitute a true belief, Pascal's Wager - Assumes one can choose belief, Pascal's Wager - Decision-theoretic arguments

Read more here: » Pascal's Wager: Encyclopedia II - Pascal's Wager - Explanation