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    Attributing a restricted probability space to Pascal's au... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→Pascal's Wager, as originally formulated, was addressed to an audience for whom only Catholicism and atheism had non-zero subjective probability.

    Attributing a restricted probability space to Pascal's audience conflates the rhetorical framing of an argument with its logical scope.

    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
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    Reasons For

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    • 1.Pascal's wager logically applies to all possible metaphysical states, not just those he rhetorically presented to 17th-century French audiences.
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    • 2.Conflating rhetorical strategy with logical content allows ad hoc restrictions that undermine the argument's generalizability and rational force.
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    • 3.An argument's validity depends on its premises and inference rules, which exist independently of how persuasively they are framed.
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    Reasons Against

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    • 1.Pascal explicitly structured his argument for a specific audience with particular background beliefs; ignoring this context misrepresents his actual claim.
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    • 2.The probability space one considers rational depends on epistemic background—what's logically available differs across contexts and knowledge states.
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    • 3.Distinguishing between rhetorical framing and logical scope requires showing they can meaningfully diverge; Pascal's case may not admit this separation.
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    Natural Theology1 linked

    Related

    An argument's validity depends on its premises and inference rules, which exist ...Conflating rhetorical strategy with logical content allows ad hoc restrictions t...Distinguishing between rhetorical framing and logical scope requires showing the...Pascal explicitly structured his argument for a specific audience with particula...
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    Pascal's Wager, as originally formulated, was addressed to an audience for whom ...Pascal's wager logically applies to all possible metaphysical states, not just t...The probability space one considers rational depends on epistemic background—wha...

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