A Remarkably Short Commentary on Blaise Pascal’s profound thought.
Blaise Pascal
Pascal is looking pale, isn’t he? If you like, you could print him out and colour him in.
Pascal’s Profound Thought
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
Pascal
Brown Bear’s Commentary
It’s me, isn’t it?
Brown Bear
Over to You
What do you think of Pascal’s profound thought? What incredible things do you know?
Acknowledgements
Image via WikiMedia Commons: Blaise Pascal doing something clever, sculpted by Augustin Pajou 1785. It has been in the Louvre since 1960 (accession number RF 2981), was photographed by Jastrow (2006) [Public Domain], and badly edited by Kramii 2019.
The Principle of Credulity was invented by a man called Richard Swinburne, who did a lot of thinking about God and Religion and things like that.
Richard Swinburne wearing a hat.
I do not know why he is holding flowers, but they’re very nice, aren’t they?
What is the Principle of Credulity?
The principle says that if something looks as if it is real, then it probably is real.
For example, if it looks as if I am sitting on the bed and holding a biscuit tin, then I am almost certainly sitting on the bed, holding a biscuit tin.
We ought to believe that things are as they seem to be, until we have evidence that we are mistaken.
Richard Swinburne
Does the Principle of Credulity always work?
Swinburne realized that there are limits to this idea. Normally, it is reasonable to believe that what we experience is real, but sometimes there is a good reason to think that we are been fooled. If this happens – if we think that we are being tricked in some way – then it makes sense to think that what looks true might not be as real as it appears.
Example: Biscuits from Your Ears
Imagine, for example, that you see someone pull a chocolate biscuit out of a container; out of a biscuit tin, for example. In that case, it is reasonable for you to think that the biscuit is real, and that the container is real, and that the container used to have a biscuit in it, and that the biscuit is now in the person’s hand (or possibly their tummy by the time you’ve thought all this). All these things look as if they are real, so normally we can suppose that they are real.
However, imagine that the person you are watching is dressed as a magician, and instead of pulling the chocolate biscuit out of a tin, he pulls it out of your ear! In this case, it would be reasonable to think that what you have seen might not be what really happened. After all, magicians are known for playing tricks on us, for making things look as if they are real when, in fact, they are just pretending. So, unless you are known for keeping chocolate biscuits in your ears, it is likely that what you think you have seen isn’t actually what happened.
So, if we have a good reason to think that we have been tricked, we can believe that what we see isn’t really what has happened. On the other hand, if we don’t have a good reason to think that we have been tricked, we would normally assume that the way that things appear to be is actually the same as the way that things actually are.
Chocolate biscuits are my favourite!
Why is the Principle of Credulity important?
The main reason that Swinburne was talking about all this is because he was interested in whether or not God is actually real. Some people say that God isn’t real, and that people who claim that he is real are making a big mistake.
On the other hand, many people say that God has shown himself to them in some way. For example, some say that God has spoken to them, or that God has made them feel certain things or that he has made them think certain thoughts. Different people have different experiences, but to people who have these experiences, God appears to be real and not imaginary. According to the Principle of Credulity, Swinburn says that, since God appears to be real, then it makes sense assume that God is actually real.
Of course, we should ask ourselves if we think these people are being tricked. But, if we have no strong evidence that they are being tricked, we must assume that their experience comes from something that is real. According to Swinburn, then, the fact that God appears to be real is strong evidence that God is actually real.
The Trouble with the Principle of Credulity
I must admit, there are things I don’t like about the Principle of Credulity.
For example, if JB’s eyes tell him that I have eaten all the chocolate biscuits, then it is reasonable for him to assume that I have actually eaten all all the chocolate biscuits.
Perhaps I should try to hide the empty biscuit tin? But, if I do that, how can I explain the chocolate around my mouth, and on the bed sheets? What should I say if JB asks me why there are crumbs in my ears?
Perhaps I can persuade JB that he has been tricked somehow, and that Sheepie is doing something to get me into trouble.
What Do You Think?
Please let me know if you have any ideas about this, or about anything else that I have written about.
