The Consequences of Ideas

As Christians we are not without answers to life's most fundamental questions. We have God's Word to supply those answers for us. But how have others tried to resolve those ultimate questions? Beginning this new series titled Consequences of Ideas, which looks at the development of philosophical thought that has shaped the Western world, Dr. Sproul starts at the beginning with Thales and his idea of the unifying factor in reality.

Unaided by Scripture, the pre-Socractic philosophers embarked on a quest for ultimate reality. How did we get here? What is the source of all things? What gives reality purpose and harmony? Their answers were interesting, to say the least. In this message, Dr. Sproul explores the early attempts to account for reality.

What are you and what are you becoming? Are you the same person you were ten years ago? If not, then who are you? How can we be the same but different? Apply these questions to the cosmos, and the question of existence seems rather complicated. Continuing this series on the Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul helps us understand the fundamental questions of being and becoming.

What happened to virtue? What happened to truth? Is all hope lost in the realm of science, politics, and our court system? These are questions we ask ourselves today, but actually, they are echoes of laments from the days of ancient Greece. What did it take to hold back that tide of Sophism and rhetoric? Considering these thoughts, Dr. Sproul helps us understand the important contribution of Socrates.

All of us should know what a person is when we see one. But if you were asked to give a definition of a person that captured the essence of personhood to the exclusion of all other creatures, what would it be? Apply that challenge to everything else in the created order with the seemingly endless varieties of things and we begin to feel the weight of the problem. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato did, and in this message, Dr. Sproul helps us understand how Plato viewed the world.

What is the difference between opinion and knowledge? Everyone has an opinion about something. But what is that opinion based on? Perhaps we don't really know anything, but rather, we only think we know things, and based on that, we are left with empty opinions. How do you know that you know anything? The ancient Greek philosopher Plato had an opinion on how we can attain true knowledge, and in this message, Dr. Sproul helps us understand Plato's thoughts on knowledge.

Why do acorns produce oak trees instead of something else? It may seem like a ridiculous question to our biblically informed ears, but the early philosophers of the ancient world were the acting scientists of their day trying to understand the reality in which they existed. Continuing this series on Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul introduces us to one of the most important thinkers of the ancient world to help us understand the power of his influence in our own day.

What is the necessary instrument for knowledge? What instrument is employed to make sense of it all? How does knowledge enter the mind? How is it interpreted? In this message, Dr. Sproul looks at these questions and teaches us about Aristotle's discovery that shapes every thought in your mind.

In Christian thought, we derive our being from the ultimate personal, rational, and volitional Being—God. But not everyone assumes that the God who exists is a being. Continuing this study on philosophy and its consequences in our lives, Dr. Sproul explains how the formless and non-being god of second century Neo-Platonism has reappeared in more modern times.

Many times we realize when our senses fail us, but how many times have they failed us, and we didn't know it? How can we be sure we can trust our senses? Pondering these questions may leave one skeptical about the reliability of our senses. In order to understand all this, we need to venture into the realm of philosophy. Or better yet, look at someone who has already gone before and defeated the claims of these skeptics. In this message, Dr. Sproul considers the philosophical achievements of "Saint Augustine."

Is God the greatest conceivable being you can think of? Of course He is. But how do we prove the God of our thinking is actually a being in reality? Early Christian thinker, Anselm, wrote down his thoughts on this and people have been talking about them ever since. Continuing this study of philosophy and its consequences in our lives, Dr. Sproul talks about "that being than which no greater can be conceived" as he explores the complexities of Anselm's argument for the existence of God.

You can't read about human DNA in the Bible and you can't study God's plan of redemption under a microscope. Does that mean science and faith contradict each other? Are there two different kinds of truth in the world? Is it possible to gain knowledge of God through nature? Thomas Aquinas thought so. In this message, Dr. Sproul helps us understand the contribution Aquinas made in natural theology.

When we think about the awesome nature of God, we may be tempted to say the words can't describe it. Is God so far above us that He transcends all human language? How does the knowledge of the infinite reach our finite minds? Continuing this study on the Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul teaches us about Aquinas' thought on language, knowledge, and our quest to know the God who is.

It seems that in our day, people choose the authority of science and philosophy over theology. But this is not a new thing. The seeds were planted long ago in Western thought during the Renaissance. Looking at "The Renaissance Revolution," Dr. Sproul explains the changes that were ushered in by the Renaissance so that we may be able to understand their ramifications today.

With all the opposing ideas in the world, how do you know which ones are right? How do know your thoughts are any closer to the truth than someone else's? Are you sure you thought your thoughts through with absolute certainty? Before you think another thought, you need to know where to begin your thought. Where's that, you ask? Seventeenth-century philosopher Descartes suggests you begin by doubting. Continuing this study of philosophy and its consequences in our lives, Dr. Sproul teaches us about the age of rationalism and its effects in our own time as he looks at Descartes.

Many times a day, we think about doing things without actually doing those things. Then we have thoughts that manifest themselves in action. The question before us is how does thought translate into action? What is that connection between thought, will, and action? What is the relationship between cause and effect? Continuing this study on the Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul discusses Descartes' thoughts on cause and effect in relationship to God's power in the universe.

If God is perfect, how can His handiwork be so imperfect? How can a good God create a world with evil in it? These questions are not at all new in the world of philosophy. Many have tried to reconcile this difficult problem. Of the many who have tried, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz offered, perhaps, the most popular solution. In this message, Dr. Sproul explains the built-in weakness with the theodicy of Leibniz.

Often we use our imagination as a means of temporary escape from the pressures of life. We dream of an ideal world in which we are free from pain, suffering, and even death. But Ponce de Leon never did find the fountain of youth, and no one has been able to get back to Eden. It seems our thoughts of a better life are now only a cause of frustration and misery. Continuing this study of philosophy and its consequences in our lives, Dr. Sproul teaches us about Pascal's answer to the problem of our greatest misery.

If you were to catalogue every piece of knowledge that is stored in your mind, you would realize that you know more than you know. But how did all that knowledge get there? Was it by heavy contemplation of things, or was it through your own personal experience through your five senses that provided you with knowledge of the world around you? Continuing this study of philosophy and its consequences in our lives, Dr. Sproul discusses how John Locke came to his theory of knowledge.

How do you know what is real? If you are relying on your five senses to supply you with an answer, remember, there are many things in this world that cannot be seen, heard, or tasted. Yet even if you could empirically test whatever you encountered, what are the odds that your conclusions would apply in all cases? Do you depend on the law of averages for absolute certainty? In this message, Dr. Sproul discusses the relationship between metaphysics and epistemology as we search for certainty in the world around us.

What is the color of anything when the lights are out? As we try to understand the material world around us, how much can we rely on our senses? Questions like these occupied the minds of eighteenth century empiricists as they attempted to know the essential qualities of the things in the material world. But how successful were they? What was wrong with their process of inquiry? Continuing this study on the Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul looks at the weakness of the inductive method used in the eighteenth century and how it ultimately leads to atheism.

If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it still make a sound? You've probably heard that question before and you just might have passed it off as just another example of philosophical nonsense. But actually, this very question was instrumental in combating eighteenth-century empiricism—a movement that ultimately leads to atheism. So how do we get from falling trees in the forest to affirming God's existence? In this message, Dr. Sproul explains the contribution of Bishop Berkeley as he challenged the tide of empiricism that was sweeping through eighteenth-century thought.

It has happened countless times in your life. You woke up and the grass was wet from the rain the night before, or so you thought. How do know the rain caused the wetness on the grass? Perhaps it is just a coincidence that the grass happened to get wet at the same time the raindrop hit the grass. What reason do you have to connect those two events in a cause and effect relationship? With this in mind, Dr. Sproul teaches us David Hume's challenge to the relationship of cause and effect, and how that affects Christian belief.

Philosopher David Hume has caused many to rethink the law of causality. In essence, he concluded that we cannot really know the true causes of the effects we perceive in our world. So what effect does his conclusion have in the sphere of theology? If we can't know the cause of things, can we rightly conclude that God caused the universe to come into being? What about miracles? Can we know what caused Jesus to rise from the dead? Can we actually know that He did? In this message, Dr. Sproul explains David Hume's challenge to the relationship of cause and effect, and how that affects Christian belief.

Kingdoms rise and fall. This fact of life has been proven again and again throughout world history. If we could only learn from history, perhaps we can finally find a way to sustain a perfect government that will usher in utopia; at least that is what Enlightenment thinkers proposed. Continuing this series on the Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul helps us understand the underlying ideas that shaped Enlightenment thought, and what effect they may have on us today.

During the Enlightenment, many minds were at work to rid society of religion. One way was to disregard Scripture and use only what is observed in nature and deduced by reason as the means of understanding our place in this world. Does nature prove that we are born sinners in need of redemption or have we been corrupted by a religious society? Continuing this series on the Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul explains the thoughts of some of the major thinkers of the Enlightenment era, and their effects on us today.

Where is the beginning of knowledge? What must be in order for knowledge to be? Most of us don't ponder questions like these, but philosophers like Immanuel Kant did. In the eighteenth century, he challenged the classical arguments for the existence of God. The effects of his critique are still felt today. In this message, Dr. Sproul teaches us Kant's thoughts that ultimately caused one of the most significant revolutions in world history.

Do our speculations about God lead us into the realm of contradictions? Is it possible to rationally come to the conclusion that God exists from our findings in the phenomenal realm? In essence, can we know God exists theoretically? Emmanuel Kant says no. In this message, Dr. Sproul explains Kant's critique of the theoretical knowledge of the metaphysical realm and how that affects classical arguments for the existence of God.

The traditional view of God is that He is a perfect being. In fact, one early church theologian described God as the most perfect being, for lack of a better term. But later the idea of God progressing entered the halls of academia. But is it possible that God can get any better? Is He in process, ever reaching his infinite potential? In short, does God evolve? Continuing this series on the Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul explains the complex philosophical thought of Hegel as he sought to explain God's relationship to the world and history.

Are you a productive member of society? Are you getting a fair wage for your work? Sometimes it seems that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Is there something wrong with the way we measure the value of our work? Karl Marx thought so. But his solution to fix the struggles of the working class went far beyond economics. In this message, Dr. Sproul discusses the foundational doctrine of Marxism and the disastrous effects it has left in its wake.

During a moment of existential decision, have you ever passionately committed yourself to the Christ of Scripture? This is probably not a question you have heard before, yet it is critical that we understand it correctly. Have you taken the existential leap of faith? Does this leap defy reason and rational decision? Christian philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, didn't mince words when he addressed the lack of passion that marked the church of his day. In this message, Dr. Sproul shows us what we can learn from Kierkegaard today.

Where do you find your meaning? If you are a Christian, then you know it comes from God. Yet many people believe that meaning and purpose do not come from God. So what is their answer to life's deepest questions? How should mankind live in this void of meaninglessness? Attempting to give meaning to a meaningless existence, Friedrich Nietzsche gave the world a philosophy that still haunts us today. Continuing this series on the Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul looks at the life and thought of this nineteenth century philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche.

What is it that truly makes you human? What is the greatest threat to your humanness? Anthropology, the study of man, is anything but a unified discipline. Where we end up with our conclusions depends on where we start with our first assumptions. Existentialist philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, began his anthropology with the rejection of God. And from that we are left with a philosophy of despair, the ramifications of which pervade our culture to this day. In this message, Dr. Sproul examines the ideas of Sartre and Heidegger, exposing the fundamental danger of existentialism.

You don't need to be master logician to feel the weight of the question. If everything must have a cause, then what caused God, and what caused the cause that caused God? Before we go too far, we need to re-examine something about our basic premise. Does everything have to have a cause? Continuing this series on the Consequences of Ideas, Dr. Sproul examines Bertrand Russell's critiques against Christianity, and exposes the fundamental problems with those critiques.

Philosophies such as positivism, pragmatism, pluralism, and relativism have been let loose to roam the halls of our schools, workplaces, and, yes, even our churches. So how do we deal with them? The first thing we must do is identify them. In this message, Dr. Sproul helps us do that as he concludes this series on philosophy.