Christmas Book List: Philosophy

Intro to Philosophy was one of the most mind altering classes I took in undergrad. After Word of Life, it was one of the first classes I took at Liberty, and I’ve been interested in philosophy ever since. When I was at Dallas, I ended up using my electives to take philosophy classes, and the prof that taught them was my thesis adviser. 

During my time at Dallas, one of the more influential side books I read was Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview. It introduced me to constructive philosophical discussion and debate as it related to Christian theology.

Now, 10 years later, you can have that same experience with the newer 2nd edition. The book is not substantially different, however there are some key improvements. The section on truth and truth-makers is slightly expanded. The chapters (11-12) on the mind-body debate were thoroughly revised, and two new chapters were added after them on substance dualism and physicalist alternatives to it. And of course William Lane Craig couldn’t resist adding more material to the section on the kalam cosmological argument.

Elsewhere, a new chapter on the atonement was added, as well as revisions to the discussion of doctrine of the Trinity and incarnation. The latter was one of the more problematic issues with the original addition. Craig, and co-author J. P. Moreland flirt with monotheletism and a rehabilitated apollinarianism. I found it more compelling at the time than I do now because I hold Christological orthodoxy from the 4th century in a little higher regard. Which is to say, I would defer to theologians more steeped in the patristic material and dogmatic Christology on this one, and not the analytic and philosophical account here. 

That being said, I think this book is a great resource to have on hand, and for some, to read cover to cover. It excels when it is dealing with the traditional branches of philosophy. I think its weaknesses are when it gets into philosophical theology.

While Philosophical Foundations provides constructive looks at current discussions, C. Stephen Evans A History of Western Philosophy looks to be a great new resource for understanding the story of philosophy. Or, one could say a descriptive look at the unfolding of philosophical thought.

In just under 600 pages, Evans takes readers from Thales of Miletus to Nietzsche of Prussia, which certainly beats taking the journey with Coppleston (though that is the standard). A general perusal of the table of contents suggests there are all the chapters you’d expect there to be, plus a bonus concluding chapter on some lessons we can learn from the history of western philosophy.

That in mind, you may wonder why pick this over other options. One might be that you have found Evans work elsewhere enjoyable and enriching it. Or, you might collect books like this (that’s me). Or, you might find Evans own take on what makes his work distinctive compelling. After we carefully defines “western,” “philosophy,” and just what a history of it entails, he then explains:

Part of my interest in philosophy stems from a conviction that philosophy is a valuable tool for a Christian who wants a deeper understanding of the Western world that has been partly shaped by philosophy. The history of Western philosophy is particularly interesting for a Christian because that history often intersects with the history of theology and the history of various religions, especially the three Abrahamic faiths: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Although I want to tell the history of philosophy, that history cannot be sharply separated from the history of religion, just as it cannot be sharply separated from the history of science or the history of art. In my account of philosophy, I shall therefore pay special attention to the links between philosophy and religious faith. For people of biblical faith, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps 111:10; Prov 9:10), and so it is plausible to think that such faith may have something important to contribute to philosophy as well. Philosophy has something valuable to offer people of faith, but faith may in turn provide something that philosophy badly needs.

p. 10

So, if that’s what you’re in the mood for, and you want it in not much more than 500 pages, Evans’ book is probably for you. Take in tandem with Philosophical Foundations and you’ve got some philosophical reading to keep you busy until at least spring break right? Maybe a little longer than that, but thanks to IVP Academic, I’ll be carving my way through these over the coming weeks and months.