The Consequences of Ideas by R. C. Sproul

Sproul has written an excellent volume highlighting some of the most important philosophers throughout history. These are the movers and shakers of philosophical thought ranging from Socrates (and even before) to Darwin and Freud. Each chapter outlines the concepts of at least one major thinker including: Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Kant and Nietzsche and several others. Foremost in Sproul’s mind is how these men have impacted our view of God and life in general.

While I have little interest in mastering the philosophies of men, preferring rather to devote my time to the understanding of Scripture, still I believe a working understanding of the movement of thought throughout time, and how those thoughts have impacted our culture today, is valuable. To that end Sproul has done us a great favor by putting all these well-known philosophers and their philosophies in one handy, clearly written volume. It would take years for a researcher to pull all this information together on their own from primary resources. So we should thank Sproul for his help and make good use of this book.