Reply to comment  The revelation game  This article is adapted
from a chapter of Steven Brams' book, Game theory and the
humanities: Bridging two worlds, published by The MIT Press and
reproduced here with kind permission. The book has been reviewed
in Plus.   Blaise Pascal, 1623-1662.  Is it rational to believe
in a god? The most famous argument in favour of belief is that
of Blaise Pascal, known as Pascal's wager. Assuming that we'll
never know whether or not God exists, at least not in this
world, Pascal advised that a prudent and rational person should
believe. If it turns out that God does exists, then this
strategy comes with a reward of infinite bliss in the afterlife.
If God doesn't exist, the penalty is neglible: a few years of
self-delusion. By comparison, if one believed that God did not
exist, but this turned out to be false, one would suffer an
eternity of torment. Faced with these options it's rational to
believe.  Pascal's approach does not assume that God gives us
any indication of his (for Pa