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The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts That Shaped Our World
by
R.C. Sproul (Goodreads Author)
Sproul's survey of the ongoing impact of history's most influential philosophies urges readers to take prevailing cultural mind-sets seriously... because ideas do have consequences.
The greatest thinkers of all time are impacting us still. From public-policy decisions and current laws to world events, theology, the arts, education, and even conversations between friends, hi...more
The greatest thinkers of all time are impacting us still. From public-policy decisions and current laws to world events, theology, the arts, education, and even conversations between friends, hi...more
Paperback, 203 pages
Published
June 8th 2009
by Crossway Books
(first published June 20th 2000)
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August 2012
May 2013
Dr. Sproul does an excellent job of laying out the philosophies, and in many cases the epistemologies of some of the most influential thinkers of modern civilization. From Socrates to Plato, Descartes to Freud, Dr. Sproul uses enough layman's terms to be understandable, but enough of the philosophical terms so that one can learn what they mean and how to use them. Though Sproul does not come from a Presuppositional mindset, I appreciate the newfound appreciation of philo...more
August 2012
May 2013
Dr. Sproul does an excellent job of laying out the philosophies, and in many cases the epistemologies of some of the most influential thinkers of modern civilization. From Socrates to Plato, Descartes to Freud, Dr. Sproul uses enough layman's terms to be understandable, but enough of the philosophical terms so that one can learn what they mean and how to use them. Though Sproul does not come from a Presuppositional mindset, I appreciate the newfound appreciation of philo...more
I was a little disappointed with this book. I was told that Sproul was famous for taking hard concepts and putting them into easy-to-read/easy-to-understand words. So, after reading the description and especially after reading through the table of contents, I was expecting this to be a pretty decent work on the history of philosophy.
Instead, I got more of an introduction to 'some' of the 'names' in the history of philosophy, but barely an adequate concept of what they contributed to western know...more
Instead, I got more of an introduction to 'some' of the 'names' in the history of philosophy, but barely an adequate concept of what they contributed to western know...more
If you've ever heard names like Plato, Aristotle, Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche or Jean-Paul Sarte and kind of known their contributions to society but not exactly known the ins and outs of their arguments or how they shaped western thought, this book does a good job explaining not only their ground-breaking works but also how it shaped society and philisophical thought. For each philosopher, Sproul provides a helpful philisophical critique/endorsement from a Christian perspective.
Spro...more
Spro...more
Good work that presents a historical survey of western philosophy beginning with the Pre-Socratic Greek philosophers all the way up to the Deconstructionists of the 20th Century. R.C. Sproul does a good job overall. This work is largely an exposition of the various philosophies rather than a Christian refutation of them per se. The author's Evangelical perspective does come out though in the book (not a bad thing). It might be a little known fact but Sproul considers among the top five influenti...more
Jun 13, 2010
Jonathan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those interested in an overview of philosophy
Shelves:
theology
In The Consequences of Ideas, R.C. Sproul presents a brief history of philosophical thought, examined from a biblical perspective. Although the breadth of the subject matter does not permit much time to be devoted to any particular school of thought, on the whole the book provides an excellent introduction to the ways in which philosophy as a science has developed over time, as well as beginning to outline some of the more important implications of each new (or not-so-new) way of thinking.
From...more
From...more
May 15, 2008
Wendy Rabe
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
video-dvds,
read-aloud-with-kids
We watched this video series with another homeschool family and it has provided a startlingly clear foundation for understanding our culture. The set includes 36 lectures by R.C. Sproul tracing the history of philosophy from Thales to the modern thinkers. Sproul delivers his messages without notes and without clutter outlining the lives of the philosophers and the ideas that have shaped Western civilization. History reveals the gradual shift in thinking from the assumption that God exists to Kan...more
This is a good book for what it is, but I think the name of the book is a little bit of a misnomer. Really what Sproul accomplishes in this book is a brief exploration of philosophical ideas and ideologies. If you are looking for an introduction to many of the influential thinkers and philosophers in history then this is a good read. I originally read it for class but have used it as a reference at other times.
Feb 23, 2012
Kingsley
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012,
christian-audio
A nice overview of 2500 years of philosophy. Obviously its difficult in a volume of this size to go into great detail about all the philosophers and philosophies, but this works as a good introduction. A good jumping off point if you want to look into any one specific person further. It looks briefly at each major view over the last 2500 years from a Biblical perspective.
I good intro run through of philosophical thought that has shaped the way we think and see things today. R.C. has an uncanny ability to write and develope big ideas for small people (like me). Four stars cause I am a presuppositionalist:)
Great all-in-one philosophy rundown. Sproul gives the gist of each philosopher and how each changed our world and how some of those philosophies are still evident today.
I was really hoping to hear him talk about the implications of these ideas, but it's really just historical overview. This would need some studying to really get . . .
Great simplistic overview of historical philosophy to modern times. It could be simplistic but the for the purpose of the book it served its cause.
Great little book! It had many interesting anecdotes and bits of info I had never seen anywhere before.
This book is a great tool in recovering the lost art of thinking critically and logically.
This book was a great complimentary text with Dr. Frame's History of Philosophy and Christian Thought Class. It summarizes both Christian History and Philosophy using terms that I could understand. It was a quicker read than most history and philosophy books I read.
Excellent introduction to the ideas of historical philosophers.
I justify rating this as "amazing" as it is amazing to be able to treat philosophy so concisely, precisely and still hit your target. Sproul did it. It's a great book--for serious thinkers. Complex philophical abstractions (is that redundant?) summarized, along with their role in Western culture and today's world.
4.5 stars, actually.
Excellent book
Helpful history of major philosophers and their influence. I wish he would have expounded more on the consequences of their ideas.
Great intro. to some philosophical giants. This book will do two things: (1) open your eyes to the underlying philosophies that shape our time;(2) help you identify which philosophers interest you so that you can pursue their writings further. Overall, well worth the time.
This book is a great way to learn more about philosophy from a Christian point of view! It begins with the first Philosophers dating around the 6th century B.C. and takes you right up to the more modern-day Darwin and Freud. Through each period it gives a brief description of each key philosopher, his ideas, his reasoning, and explains where and why they are true and/or erroneous. If you love to think, this a great book for you! Very easy to read, and I know we all love Sproul :)
Good as far as short surveys can be. It helps to be exposed to some of these thinkers or the ancient questions of philosophy before hand. Sproul did a great job of bringing a classical Christian worldview to the table; finishing chapters by juxtaposing the respective thinkers and schools of philosophy with a Christian framework.
This is a great introduction to the overall history of Western philosophy. It is not in depth, and is aimed at the average layman, but is a good read and very insightful. After readng this book, one can for the most part speak with intelligence about the basics of philosophy and the thoughts of many of the major philosophers.
Listened to 35 lectures on CD. Wonderful overview of philosophical movements from the pre-Socratics forward. Sproul is a such a good teacher—one of my favorites. So I benefited from his rhetorical skill, as well as his intellectual mine. Finished again Oct. 24, 2012.
May 06, 2009
Charles
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone
Recommended to Charles by:
Bryan Oneil
Shelves:
philosophy,
theology
A great introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective that is as unbiased as books come (no such thing as no bias). Gives an overview of all the famous philosophers from classic to modern with a critique concerning their most famous works.
Good, informative, and brief overview of Western philosophy from a Reformed Evangelical perspective. Sproul writes in the introduction that he intended this work for "educated laypeople". I think that's fair.
Could have been so much more... That's what I kept thinking the whole time. Its not that it was wrong at points as much as it was absent from many others.
An excellent resource explaining both ancient and modern philosophies as well as their effects on popular thought. Sproul is king!
Jan 27, 2011
Jeff
added it
A great summarized run through the great philosophical thoughts of western history and how Christ came to answer their questions.
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Dr. R.C. Sproul was born in 1939 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He is president of Ligonier Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies and the founder and chairman of the ministry that began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, th...more
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“We take comfort, however, that mystery is not a synonym for contradiction.”
—
10 people liked it
“The concept of divine revelation was central to Augustine's epistemology, or theory of knowledge.
The metaphor of light is instructive. In our present earthly state we are equipped with the faculty of sight. We have eyes, optic nerves, and so forth- all the equipment needed for sight. But a man with the keenest eyesight can see nothing if he is locked in a totally dark room. So just as an external source of light is needed for seeing, so an external revelation from God is needed for knowing.
When Augustine speaks of revelation, he is not speaking of Biblical revelation alone. He is also concerned with "general" or "natural" revelation. Not only are the truths in Scripture dependent on God's revelation, but all truth, including scientific truth, is dependent on divine revelation. This is why Augustine encouraged students to learn as much as possible about as many things as possible. For him, all truth is God's truth, and when one encounters truth, one encounters the God whose truth it is.”
—
2 people liked it
More quotes…
The metaphor of light is instructive. In our present earthly state we are equipped with the faculty of sight. We have eyes, optic nerves, and so forth- all the equipment needed for sight. But a man with the keenest eyesight can see nothing if he is locked in a totally dark room. So just as an external source of light is needed for seeing, so an external revelation from God is needed for knowing.
When Augustine speaks of revelation, he is not speaking of Biblical revelation alone. He is also concerned with "general" or "natural" revelation. Not only are the truths in Scripture dependent on God's revelation, but all truth, including scientific truth, is dependent on divine revelation. This is why Augustine encouraged students to learn as much as possible about as many things as possible. For him, all truth is God's truth, and when one encounters truth, one encounters the God whose truth it is.”
Jan 31, 2009 11:40am