بررسي انتقادي تقرير ويليام جيمز از شرطيه پاسكال

William JamesʹAccount of ʹPascalʹs Wagerʹ: A Critical Analysis

One of the demonstrations presented to prove Godʹs existence and rationality of religious beliefs is known as ʹPascalʹs wagerʹ. William James has reviewed this demonstration and has presented a new account of it. According to his opinion we do not always form and accept our beliefs based on mere rational reasons; rather in many cases our will and feelings determine the direction of our beliefs. He believes that religious beliefs are among these cases as well. Criticizing skepticism and suspension of propositions on religious beliefs, James believes although the questions and problems related to accepting or rejecting religious beliefs might be rationally unanswered and without a final response such that we cannot take a definite rational position about them, but in practice and considering our emotional needs and the demands of our willing and emotive nature, they are among genuine and real choices which are living, unavoidable and momentous and we cannot be indifferent to them; rather we should study them considering the needs of our emotive and willing nature, if they are in accordance with our wills and pleasures we should accept them and otherwise we should reject them. Jamesʹ view has been criticized. Some of the most important criticisms of William Jamesʹ account of ʹPascalʹs wagerʹ are as follows: having an instrumental look at truth, accepting cognitive volitionaism, contradiction in ethical objectivism, paying attention to the profit of this world and ambiguity of concepts such as emotion and feelings.