Angles and Wagers

The students on the California High School Summer Program demonstrated their increasing aptitude for mathematics and philosophy in the classroom today, after showcasing their outside the-classroom skills at yesterday’s basketball game and Open-Mic Night.  

Starting the morning with Mass and a warm breakfast, selected programmers presented propositions 11, 13, and 15 from Book I of Euclid’s Elements. Although a little uneasy about having to explain the propositions before the whole class, the presenters passed with flying colors — and enjoyed seeing the fruits of a week’s hard work pay off. “Euclid is the best!” exclaimed Barbara K. “The diagrams make it easy to discuss.”

Bonding over a lunch of pulled-pork sandwiches, fries, and red cabbage slaw, the programmers recounted the experience. When the meal was over, the sections returned to the classroom to discuss Blaise Pascal’s Pensées. A mathematician and philosopher from the 17th century, Pascal argues that, because God is infinite and man is finite, it is impossible for human reason to know whether God exists or what His nature is. Rather than laying out a logical syllogism to prove God’s existence, Pascal offers unbelievers a wager. 

The Frenchman envisions a scenario in which God’s existence is to be decided by a coin toss, asking the reader to consider what one stands to lose or gain by picking “head, God exists.” If He truly does exist, then the reader gains the infinite reward of eternal life in beatitude; and if He does not, then the reader risks very little, since after this life comes nothing. “If you win, you win everything, if you lose you lose nothing,” Pascal writes. 

The high schoolers pondered Pascal’s case, wondering if a theoretical coin toss was really the best case to be made for God’s existence. Before they knew it, the class — and the day — had come to an end.

Tonight is the soccer championship. Come back to the Summer Program Blog tomorrow to see pictures and read all about it!