Francis A. Schaeffer's - Escape From Reason

Has anyone read Francis A. Schaeffer’s - Escape From Reason?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_from_Reason

My friend bought it for me in an effort to show how Christian Apologetics defeats modern philosophy.

I have just begun to read it. I was wondering who has read it and what your responses to this book are. Does anyone know of any reviews or responses to it online? Please post links.

Here is one interesting article:

False Antithesis

Basically Schaeffer’s Antithesis vs. Hegels Synthesis.

(I tend to agree with this article.)

A false antithesis is an error that can cause one to think two things are in opposition to each other when they really are not.

The author doesn’t clarify why the Greeks would be considered unregenerative within the context of this argument.

Though the orange idea is pretty silly, since I’ve never seen any evidence that I’m looking at anything other than the whole orange. Heck, it’d be nice to have half an orange, really. That way I could penetrate the peel and actually know what I’m talking about.

Thanks for the response Xunzian.

I think I agree with the author of the article that “Schaeffer has misconstrued the philosophy of Hegel on a massive scale”.

Also I agree with this quote: “The whole point of coming to a synthetic resolution of that tension is not to renounce logical consistency, but precisely to preserve what is rational in both positions and cancel out what is not rational!”

I just got the book. It’s little!

I’m halfway through the book and it’s turning out to be much less than expected. It is a shitty excuse for a philosophical book. It is weak and doesn’t support any of its conclusions. So he throws in a couple names of artists and philosophers… so what? He vastly over-generalizes many people and concepts. He flat out misses with Hegel and many others.

One thing that has particularly bothered me thus far is that he refers to the reformation as a freeing sort of movements and that science will only take us in an “autonomous” and deterministic direction. He started out talking about Calvin and yet he says that the reformation fights against determinism. Calvinsm is completely deterministic. Man does not choose, all has been preordained. He missed the boat with his narrow analysis of the reformation.

But most of it is just garbage…

He was right from what I’ve heard of him, but I have not read the book in question.

Right about what? He wasn’t right about Hegel.

He was right about where the country is headed. That’s for sure.

Where’s that? (I’m new to Schaeffer and don’t know that much about him.)

If he’s the same Schaeffer we are thinking about, he has pointed out many of the changes that were about to occur, such as what is in the public sphere during these days. Such as what the right, including myself perceive as threats against our religious liberties.

I want to learn more about him. What changes? What is in the public sphere? What threatens your religious liberty?

I’ll just say he’s a Christian Apologetics guy. He’s against Christians not being able pray in school. He concluded that one day the Christians would slowly be subject to the constant Christmas problems, and the government stepping in against Church businesses, and passing laws against preaching against homosexuality, and that sort of thing. By the way, do you know why I have to constantly hit the submit button fo the stupid post to send?

You shouldn’t have to constantly hit the submit button. When you press it, just wait a little while for it. Otherwise i don’t know what’s going on with these stinken computers!

We have rights in this country and have freedom of religion. What church “businesses”? We have free speech. We will always be allowed to preach against homos. And they will always be allowed to preach their lifestyle too.

Not in California we can’t.

In CA you can’t what?

Bump!

???

I finished the book last night. It would be tough to even call it a philosophical book. He does a very poor job of defining his terms, then as the book goes on, those terms begin to alter and change meaning. The book has more generalizations in it than… I don’t know, a book with a shit load of generalizations in it! :laughing:

Overall rating:
As a theology book: 6 out of 10
As a philosophy book: 2 out of 10
As a book attempting to be both theology and philosophy: 5 out of 10

He made a good effort, but comes up short.