****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
It is an ok book for a mandatory college classI read this book for the first half of my intro to Philosophy class in seminary, and I really enjoyed it. It is a history of philosophy. Helpfully, Hicks fights to include the work of women and non-Western thinkers, but he admits that our resources are predominantly Western and male. While The Journey So Far is written by a Christian, he is very charitable towards other views (except perhaps post-modern relativism). He fairly and clearly summarizes each thinker, and his reflection questions at the end of sections were, without exception, very helpful. If you read this, I strongly encourage you to take the time to read those questions and reflect on your own views. Not only did this help me develop my own personal thought, but it also helped me to better remember and understand the thinkers under consideration.Peter Hicks provides 3 enhancements to Philosophical Surveys for Christians.1. He writes clearly, albeit rather generally -- as necessary in a survey.2. He exposes the (self-confessed) failure of secular humanist philosophies.3. He surveys the advantages of using the Scripture as a foundation for Christian humanist/rational philosophies. (As a NT Christian, I do not believe in Christian Humanism/Rationalism, nor Christian Philosophy.) Hicks shows how the 500 years before the Christ led men to state (variously) the major questions which need answers so man can proceed to live a good life. He then shows the next 1500 years have a solid foundation on which to elucidate those ideas. However, the next 500 years show man seeking to establish a rational/humanistic system of answers. The result is the denial that those answers generally exist, a denial which brings chaos to the general philosophical circle and to societies imbibing its influence. So, in an age of chaos, our Professor wishes us to honestly consider Scripture and Christianity -- something done only in severely limited circles over the past 200 years. He lays out his general outline of how to proceed with this and the results one may expect. So, Hicks provides a Survey of Philosophy which seeks to lay the groundwork for reestablishing Philosophy on the Foundation of Scripture, to bring order from the current philosophical chaos. If successful, his ultimate end would help western civilization recover from the brink of social, ethical, and political chaos.One of the best single-volume introductions to philosophy that I know—thorough, engaging, and accessibleGreat book easy to read
