Pascal on Self-caused Belief
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20313444 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stephen T Davis (Claremont McKenna College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1991 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 27-37 |
| Publication date | 1991-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religious Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0034-4125 • E-ISSN: 1469-901X |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0034412500001293 |
| OpenAlex | W2063412632 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 2 |
Let me begin with a true story. Years ago, early in my career as a professor of philosophy, I had a fascinating series of conversations with a student whom I will call Peter. He was a bright and incisive senior, with a double major in philosophy and psychology. Raised in a religious family, the son of a Christian minister, he was himself unable to believe. His doubts were too strong. But the odd fact was that he genuinely wanted to believe. His religious scepticism deeply troubled him; part of him envied the faith of his parents. How do you go about making yourself believe?, he asked me. How do you go about having the kinds of religious experiences that lead people to faith? These were long and intense conversations, and I was unable (though I tried) to move Peter away from his doubts. So far as I know he is still a sceptic
Epistemology · Faith · Psychoanalysis · Religious belief · Skepticism · Theology · French Literature and Criticism · Historical Philosophy and Science · Medieval Philosophy and Theology · Philosophy · Psychology · Religious studies
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |