Analyzing Pascal’s Wager through Descartes’ Deceiving Demon: Informing the Modern Vaccine-Autism Controversy

Abstract

The first section of this paper will analyze Blaise Pascal’s wager through the lens of René Descartes’ deceiving demon. The second section of the paper will discuss the MMR vaccine controversy and the lingering doubts that persisted despite strong scientific counterevidence. The third and final section of the paper will apply some of the philosophical insights drawn from the first to the controversy discussed in the second.