“I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live as if there isn’t and to die to find out that there is.”
- June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
- French
- Mathematician, Physicist, Inventor, Philosopher, Theologian
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Quote
“I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live as if there isn’t and to die to find out that there is.”
Explanation
This quote is a modern paraphrase of Pascal’s Wager, though it does not appear in Pensées in this exact form. It captures Pascal’s central argument: in the face of uncertainty about God’s existence, belief is the wisest and safest choice. If God exists and you believe, you gain everything—eternal life, purpose, and salvation. If He does not exist, you have lost nothing of ultimate value. But if you reject belief and God does exist, the loss is infinite. Thus, rational prudence supports belief.
In Pensées, Pascal does not argue for God’s existence through proof but through probability, consequence, and practical reasoning. He acknowledges that we cannot know with certainty, but we must wager with our lives. Faith, then, becomes a reasonable and hopeful commitment, not blind superstition. The wager appeals to the heart and will, urging us to live as if meaning, truth, and God matter—because the cost of ignoring them is infinitely higher.
In today’s secular and pluralistic age, where many people live without religious conviction, Pascal’s wager remains a provocative challenge. It asks us to consider: What are we risking by living without belief? Is it wise to stake everything on the assumption that there is no higher purpose or judgment? This quote—though not Pascal’s own wording—faithfully reflects his message: in matters of ultimate consequence, the cost of indifference is too great, and belief is the safer and more courageous path.
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