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Single Idea 7456

[from 'Pensées' by Blaise Pascal, in 28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / d. Pascal's Wager ]

Full Idea

The libertine is giving up something if he chooses to adopt a pious form of life. He likes sin. If God is not, the worldly life is preferable to the cloistered one.

Clarification

A 'libertine' pursues pleasure

Gist of Idea

The libertine would lose a life of enjoyable sin if he chose the cloisters

Source

comment on Blaise Pascal (Pensées [1662], 418 (233)) by Ian Hacking - The Emergence of Probability Ch.8

Book Reference

Hacking,Ian: 'The Emergence of Probability' [CUP 1975], p.68


A Reaction

This is a very good objection to Pascal, who seems to think you really have nothing at all to lose. I certainly don't intend to become a monk, because the chances of success seem incredibly remote from where I am sitting.