From public-policy decisions and world events to theology, the arts, education, and even conversations with friends, history’s most influential ideas affect nearly everything we see, think, and do. Thus it is critical to understand and take seriously the ideas that are shaping us. The greater our familiarity with the streams of thought that have saturated Western culture through the ages, the greater our ability to influence this culture for Christ. R. C. Sproul expertly leads the way with The Consequences of Ideas. Tracing the contours of Western philosophy from the ancients to the molders of modern thought-including Plato, Aquinas, Descartes, Kant, and Freud-Sproul proves that ideas are not just passing fads. They endure for generations to come, with wide-ranging consequences for us all.~ Synopsis

Table of Contents

• • List of Illustrations 6
  • Introduction: Why Philosophy? 7
  • 1 The First Philosophers 13
  • 2 Plato: Realist and Idealist 27
  • 3 Aristotle: The Philosopher 39
  • 4 Augustine: Doctor of Grace 51
  • 5 Thomas Aquinas: Angelic Doctor 65
  • 6 Rene Descartes: Father of Modern Rationalism 79
  • 7 John Locke: Father of Modern Empiricism 91
  • 8 David Hume: Skeptic 103
  • 9 Immanuel Kant: Revolutionary Philosopher 117
  • 10 Karl Marx: Utopian 133
  • 11 Soren Kierkegaard: Danish Gadfly 147
  • 12 Friedrich Nietzsche: Atheistic Existentialist 159
  • 13 Jean-Paul Sartre: Litterateur and Philosopher 173
  • 14 Darwin and Freud: Influential Thinkers 187
  • Conclusion: Gilson’s Choice 199
  • Notes 205
  • For Further Reading 209
  • Index 217