The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts That Shaped Our World

224 pages and every concept and idea made clear for beginners and experts. R.C. has written a masterpiece. He explains the main contours of the history of philosophy. He goes further by making philosophical thought come alive. Finally, I understand many ideas I heard before many times. Each main philosophical player is made crystal clear. Transitions are included so that R.C. can acknowledge pivotal contributions that he can't cover extensively. I recommend this book for a great general introduction to the history of philosophy. R.C. is know for being a teacher of reformed theology yet many of his students will appreciate his expertise in philosophy. He concludes with the challenge to choose between Aquinas or Kant. This is a very balanced view of Christian thought for a reformed theologian to acknowledge a Catholic thinker as Aquinas. I enjoyed every page of Sprouls' treatise. If you want to really grasp ideas for the first time, I recommend this for you. If you are a homeschooler and into the classical approach to education you will be delighted by the conclusion of the book. I hope R.C. writes another book, maybe on classical education?

R. C. Sproul presents a readable, accessible history of Western philosophy, from the pre-Socratics to the present. In just over 200 pages he presents the major ideas and world-views that have affected the minds of humans and the course of history. Writing as a committed Christian, he challenges Christians to not merely BELIEVE, but also to THINK. In the end, Sproul affirms (with Gilson) that our fundamental choice is between the world-view of Thomas Aquinas (rational Christian theism) or the world-view of Immanuel Kant (irrational agnosticism).

If you are interested in a good introduction to Western Philosophy and how the ideas of the past effects your life today, this book is it. I found the book easy to read. The case R.C. makes is both compelling and a learning experience. Read this book if you are interested in getting an overview of why we think the way we do in the western world.

A powerful book that is sure to please the thoughtful reader. The author does a splendid job of keeping philosophy in its proper ministerial place while allowing Scripture its rightful magisterial position in shaping truth. True ideas have truthful consequences; false ideas also have truthful consequences, which sometimes are like ideological gravity: painful landings without a biblically informed parachute! Napoleon was right: 'the pen is mightier than the sword',or as Solomon said: 'as a man thinketh, so is he'. This volume is a great help for saint, seeker, skeptic, sage to 'love the Lord your God with all your mind'. Highly recommended!

This is a great work for the person who is wanting a little better understanding of philosophy and its history. Sproul covers the major philosophers throughout history and describes what they taught/espoused. This book is an excellent beginning text. I also appreciate the fact that Sproul covers Aquinas (Sproul being a Thomist of sorts) especially since Aquinas is often forgotten or merely overlooked in the History of Philosophy. This is a pity since Aquinas had such a strong impact on the "Christianizing" of Aristotle's metaphysics/philosophy. Another wonderful aspect to this book is the very last section where Sproul delineates the problems that are occurring in the twentieth century in the area of metaphysics. This section is aptly called "Gilson's Choice." Here Sproul describes the metaphysical trends (and their demise so to speak) and then tells how Etienne Gilson attempted to correct these metaphysical ailments and describe how metaphysics has derailed over the centuries (beginning especially with Rene Descartes). Sproul also includes a nice bibliography for the reader to branch out into further study. Overall, this is a neat little book that is very informative and wonderful for the student who wants to gain a better understanding of the study of philosophy. Thank you Dr. Sproul!!!!!!