Is philosophy relevant to your everyday life? You may not think so, but R.C. Sproul wants to remind you just how relevant philosophy really is. In The Consequences of Ideas he traces the history of philosophy by looking at some of the major names that contributed to it. The fact that most of the names will be familiar is an indication of the widespread cultural influence of philosophy.
Sproul reminds us that ideas can powerful. Many world leaders have understood that power in a purely negative way, quashing all dissent and even eliminating those whose ideas are different. One can't deny the power that religious ideas like the trinity and incarnation of Jesus Christ have had on the world.
Starting with Thales of Miletus, Sproul takes us on a journey through philosophy. He looks at both Plato and Aristotle, and then moves to Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, two men who have shaped the ideas of the church perhaps more than any others. Sproul then takes a look at philosophers like Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, and even Darwin and Freud (Darwin and Freud are not usually considered philosophers, but their philosophical impact is often underestimated). Some of the philosophers are Christian; some like Nietzsche are anti-Christian; all are profoundly influential.
The goal of this book is to remind us how powerful ideas can be, and what The Consequences of Ideas are. Sproul does a masterful job of illustrating the influence that philosophy has had and is continuing to have on society. Armed with this knowledge, and a strong knowledge of Christian philosophy, you can join Sproul and influence the world for the better.
