RE: Albert Camus

Albert Camus was a French/Algerian author and philosopher who won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1957. There is probably no doubt that Camus must have read Pascal. However, Camus did not claim originality for this phrase and certainly summarized rather nicely Pascal's Wager. Remember, "That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9.

 
Moorad

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From: jack syme [mailto:drsyme@cablespeed.com]
Sent: Sat 3/4/2006 5:21 PM
To: Alexanian, Moorad; AmericanScientificAffiliation
Subject: Re: Albert Camus

He stole the idea from Pascal. The so called Pascal's Wager:

  "God is, or He is not." But to which side shall we incline? Reason can
decide nothing here. There is an infinite chaos which separated us. A game
is being played at the extremity of this infinite distance where heads or
tails will turn up... Which will you choose then? Let us see. Since you must
choose, let us see which interests you least. You have two things to lose,
the true and the good; and two things to stake, your reason and your will,
your knowledge and your happiness; and your nature has two things to shun,
error and misery. Your reason is no more shocked in choosing one rather than
the other, since you must of necessity choose... But your happiness? Let us
weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is... If you gain, you gain
all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He
is.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alexanian, Moorad" <alexanian@uncw.edu>
To: "AmericanScientificAffiliation" <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 3:36 PM
Subject: Albert Camus

> "I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out
> there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there
> is." Albert Camus
>
>
>
Received on Sun Mar 5 08:43:17 2006