Mathematics and God: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
imported>Brent Silby Improved footer. |
imported>Mllhnkz →Mathematical arguments for God's existence: Added three more sources |
||
| Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
In the 1070s, [[Anselm of Canterbury]], an [[Italy|Italian]] medieval [[philosopher]] and [[theology|theologian]], created an [[ontological argument]] which sought to use [[logic]] to prove the existence of God.<ref name="Ontological arguments">{{cite web|url=http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ontological-arguments|title=Ontological arguments|publisher=plato.stanford.edu|date=2007-02-15|accessdate=2007-03-04}}</ref> A more elaborate version was given by [[Gottfried Leibniz]] in the early eighteenth century.<ref name="Ontological arguments" /> [[Kurt Gödel]] created a formalization of Leibniz' version, known as [[Gödel's ontological proof]].<ref name="Ontological arguments" /> | In the 1070s, [[Anselm of Canterbury]], an [[Italy|Italian]] medieval [[philosopher]] and [[theology|theologian]], created an [[ontological argument]] which sought to use [[logic]] to prove the existence of God.<ref name="Ontological arguments">{{cite web|url=http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ontological-arguments|title=Ontological arguments|publisher=plato.stanford.edu|date=2007-02-15|accessdate=2007-03-04}}</ref> A more elaborate version was given by [[Gottfried Leibniz]] in the early eighteenth century.<ref name="Ontological arguments" /> [[Kurt Gödel]] created a formalization of Leibniz' version, known as [[Gödel's ontological proof]].<ref name="Ontological arguments" /> | ||
A more recent argument was made by [[Stephen D. Unwin]] in 2003, who suggested the use of [[Bayesian probability]] to estimate the probability of God's existence.<ref name="Bayesian probability">{{cite web|url=http://www.bede.org.uk/unwin.htm|title=Doing the math with God|publisher=plato.stanford.edu|author=Unwin, Stephen|year=2003|accessdate=2007-03-04}}</ref> | A more recent argument was made by [[Stephen D. Unwin]] in 2003, who suggested the use of [[Bayesian probability]] to estimate the probability of God's existence, and was also criticized.<ref name="Bayesian probability">{{cite web|url=http://www.bede.org.uk/unwin.htm|title=Doing the math with God|publisher=plato.stanford.edu|author=Unwin, Stephen|year=2003|accessdate=2007-03-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=markcc |date=2006-07-25 |title=Yet Another Crappy Bayesian Argument |url=http://www.goodmath.org/blog/2006/07/25/yet-another-crappy-bayesian-argument/ |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=Good Math/Bad Math |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-10-20 |title=Book Review: “The Probability of God?, by Stephen D. Unwin" |url=https://blogs.iq.harvard.edu/book_review_the_1 |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=blogs.iq.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Journal |first=The |date=2024-07-05 |title=Bullshit or science? |url=https://thejournal.mt/bullshit-or-science/ |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=The Journal |language=en-GB}}</ref> | ||
==Mathematical arguments for belief== | ==Mathematical arguments for belief== | ||
A common application of [[decision theory]] to the belief in God is [[Pascal's wager]], published by [[Blaise Pascal]] in his 1669 work ''[[Pensées]]''. The application is a defense of [[Christianity]] stating that "If God does not exist, the Atheist loses little by believing in him and gains little by not believing. If God does exist, the Atheist gains eternal life by believing and loses an infinite good by not believing".<ref name="Pascal's Wager">{{cite web |title=Blaise Pascal (1623) |url=http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0619b-almanac.htm |accessdate=2007-03-04 |publisher=ronaldbrucemeyer.com}}</ref> The [[atheist's wager]] has been proposed as a counterargument to Pascal's Wager. | A common application of [[decision theory]] to the belief in God is [[Pascal's wager]], published by [[Blaise Pascal]] in his 1669 work ''[[Pensées]]''. The application is a defense of [[Christianity]] stating that "If God does not exist, the Atheist loses little by believing in him and gains little by not believing. If God does exist, the Atheist gains eternal life by believing and loses an infinite good by not believing".<ref name="Pascal's Wager">{{cite web |title=Blaise Pascal (1623) |url=http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0619b-almanac.htm |accessdate=2007-03-04 |publisher=ronaldbrucemeyer.com}}</ref> The [[atheist's wager]] has been proposed as a counterargument to Pascal's Wager.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Žižek |first=Slavoj |date=2010-12-23 |title=The Atheist Wager |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1558/poth.v11i1.136 |journal=Political Theology |language=EN |doi=10.1558/poth.v11i1.136}}</ref> The [[Pascal's wager]] itself has faced numerous criticisms,<ref>{{Citation |last=Hájek |first=Alan |title=Pascal’s Wager |date=2024 |work=The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy |editor-last=Zalta |editor-first=Edward N. |url=https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2024/entries/pascal-wager/ |access-date=2025-06-16 |edition=Summer 2024 |publisher=Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University |editor2-last=Nodelman |editor2-first=Uri}}</ref> and some have reformulated the argument by proposing an [[Evil God challenge|evil God]] that sends [[Belief|people who believe]] in him to [[Hell]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-15 |title=Pascal’s Wager: Eternal Gamble – Jimmy Akin |url=https://jimmyakin.com/2022/06/pascals-wager-eternal-gamble.html |access-date=2025-06-16 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Velez |first=Daniela |date=2024-09-05 |title=the three body problem and religious nihilism |url=https://daniela-velez.medium.com/the-three-body-problem-and-religious-nihilism-25ee508becf2 |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 18:35, 16 June 2025
Connections between mathematics and God include the use of mathematics in arguments about the existence of God and about whether belief in God is beneficial.
Mathematical arguments for God's existence
In the 1070s, Anselm of Canterbury, an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, created an ontological argument which sought to use logic to prove the existence of God.[1] A more elaborate version was given by Gottfried Leibniz in the early eighteenth century.[1] Kurt Gödel created a formalization of Leibniz' version, known as Gödel's ontological proof.[1]
A more recent argument was made by Stephen D. Unwin in 2003, who suggested the use of Bayesian probability to estimate the probability of God's existence, and was also criticized.[2][3][4][5]
Mathematical arguments for belief
A common application of decision theory to the belief in God is Pascal's wager, published by Blaise Pascal in his 1669 work Pensées. The application is a defense of Christianity stating that "If God does not exist, the Atheist loses little by believing in him and gains little by not believing. If God does exist, the Atheist gains eternal life by believing and loses an infinite good by not believing".[6] The atheist's wager has been proposed as a counterargument to Pascal's Wager.[7] The Pascal's wager itself has faced numerous criticisms,[8] and some have reformulated the argument by proposing an evil God that sends people who believe in him to Hell.[9][10]
See also
References
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Further reading
- Cohen, Daniel J., Equations from God: Pure Mathematics and Victorian Faith, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007 Template:Isbn.
- Livio, Mario, Is God a Mathematician?, Simon & Schuster, 2011 Template:Isbn.
- Ransford, H. Chris, God and the Mathematics of Infinity: What Irreducible Mathematics Says about Godhood, Columbia University Press, 2017 Template:Isbn.
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".