The Consequences of Ideas — Season 1, Episode 22: Berkeley and Empiricism
Documentary • 23 min • 1 season, 35 episodes
Episode synopsis
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.
About The Consequences of Ideas
To understand the culture in which we live, you need to be familiar with the ideas that have shaped it. In Ligonier's survey series, The Consequences of Ideas, R.C. Sproul traces the contours of Western philosophy throughout history and shows how our culture evolved to what it is today. From ancient Greek thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to Christian philosophers such as Augustine, Anselm and Aquinas to the shapers of modern thought such as Hume, Kant and Nietzsche, R.C. demonstrates the consequences of each of these and other important thinkers' ideas on world events, theology, the fine arts and culture, as well as our everyday lives. Listen, and you will hear echoes of their ideas in your daily conversations—especially as you witness to unbelievers.