The Complete Thinker: The Marvelous Mind of G.K. Chesterton. By Dale Ahlquist, Ignatius Press, 2012.
Dale Ahlquist is the president of the American Chesterton Society (ACS) (http://www.chesterton.org/), which is dedicated to promoting the life, works, and philosophy of G.K. Chesterton to the world. Ahlquist has previously written the books G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense, Common Sense 101: Lessons from G.K. Chesterton, and has edited and introduced many other books about Chesterton. As part of the ACS’s efforts to fix the world’s ills, Ahlquist hosts the EWTN television series The Apostle of Common Sense, (http://www.ewtn.com/series/chesterton/index.htm), and many of the essays in Ahlquist’s latest book, The Complete Thinker: The Marvelous Mind of G.K. Chesterton are adapted from the scripts of several episodes of the series.
In his introduction, Ahlquist writes:
“What is it that sets Chesterton apart, besides the fact that he is totally quotable? For one thing, he differs from some other outstanding literary figures of the last century in that he answers questions instead of just asking them. There are some fine artisans of the written word, skilled evokers of stirring and striking images, but their ideas are often disconnected, detached, and even decayed– a wilt that is lovely but suggests a lack of rootedness. Or, to switch metaphors, the fog they are lost in is sometimes interesting and eloquent, but it is still a fog and they are still lost in it. They express the problem very well– they write of the dilemma articulately– but they cannot find their way out. They do not have a solution. Their suggestiveness can only suggest.
But G.K. Chesterton is enormously clarifying. In an age of relativism, he speaks in absolutes. He speaks the truth without uncertainty, without wavering, and without embarrassment– and without the anger and pride that can befoul even the truth. He speaks with graciousness and goodness and humility. His epigrams ring with an instantly recognizable truth. But he does not merely sprinkle little encapsulated truths; he gushes with an ocean of truth. It is the whole truth. It is a comfort to most, a curiosity to some, and a curse to a few, but no honest reader can shake off the notion that Chesterton is consistently, extensively, and astonishingly right in what he writes.” (13).
Arguably the primary purpose of Ahlquist’s continuing attempts to popularize Chesterton is the belief that Chesterton is the antidote to most of the problems that plague today’s world. Not only is Chesterton a better writer stylistically than most of the pundits and critics employed today, but his predictions and warnings also been proven correct more often than his celebrated contemporaries. Ahlquist stresses how Chesterton’s warnings about societal breakdown and unrest have gone largely ignored or dismissed, and that rejecting Chesterton’s messages may come at a high cost, writing that:
“It seems that one of Chesterton’s main functions is to remind us of things we already know: common sense. “Every high civilization decays,” warns Chesterton, “by forgetting obvious things.”[i] What better description of the present state of our civilization? He prophetically points out that this decay includes a loss of respect for marriage, family, private property, and the value of life itself. He says human rights will be respected only when they are treated as divine rights.[ii] But we are not allowed to discuss the divine origin of rights, or of life, or of existence. We are hardly allowed to discuss existence at all. And Chesterton asks, “If the ordinary man may not discuss existence, why should he be asked to conduct it?”[iii]” (15).
The essays in The Complete Thinker are all easy reads, ranging from about ten to twenty pages each. Most are opinionated, but being argumentative is not the same as being aggressive. One of the most unappreciated aspects of Chesterton’s character comes from his treatment of those who disagree with him. Ahlquist observes that Chesterton’s ultimate goal was not to win mere debates, but to win over souls:
“We can learn from Chesterton not only how to be a complete thinker but how to argue with our adversaries. He is the model of calm and reason and good humor, not only because he is confident about the truth, but because he cares about the souls of his opponents. He wants to win them over because he loves them, not because he merely wants to prove that he is right. He always sees the connection between truth and charity. It is part of his completeness.” (18).
There are seventeen chapters in The Complete Thinker, covering topics as diverse as “How to Think,” “The Problem of Evil,” “The Seven Deadly Sins,” “War and Peace,” “Politics and Patriotism,” “Life and Death,” and “Abandon Hopelessness, All Ye Who Enter Here.” Also fascinating is the appendix “Chesterton vs. Darrow,” an account of the famed debate between Chesterton and the renowned lawyer Clarence Darrow, where Chesterton was widely viewed as the clear victor. Though no transcript was taken of the debate, the recollections of several observers are pieced together in order to reconstruct this fascinating face-off.
Ahlquist repeatedly justifies his support for all things Chestertonian, stating early in the book that:
“Although Chesterton writes about everything, he makes this striking claim: “There is only one subject.”[iv] There is one central truth, to which all other truths are connected, and which is under attack from all sides by error, by mistakes, by foolishness, by sin. Chesterton understands that in defending this truth he has to be prepared to talk about everything. And so that is what he talks about– everything. He is also willing to argue, to fight. “If you are loyal to anything and wish to preserve it, you must recognize that it has or might have enemies; and you must hope that the enemies will fail.”[v]
For the last three decades, I have enjoyed not only taking an active role in the Chesterton revival, but simply watching it as well. The greatest privilege has been watching the endless parade of Chesterton’s words march by and present themselves for inspection, watching the wheels of his great mind turn as he considers the truth that touches everything, watching the winds of his great soul blow away all the intellectual garbage and strange and horrible ideas that clutter the modern world, and watching his sure hand as he defends the faith that changed his life, the faith that changed my life. There is a reason he writes with such strength and assurance. As he points out, “faith” and “confidence” are derived from the same word: fides. Chesterton is a giant of the faith, and a model of confidence in the truth. He puts it all together.” (19-20).
Though The Complete Thinker is filled with Chesterton quotes, Ahlquist adds a number of great lines of his own, such as, “The modern version of tolerance is the idea that it does not matter what you believe as long as you do not really believe it.” (103). The Complete Thinker is meant to be a companion volume to the earlier G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense and Common Sense 101: Lessons from G.K. Chesterton, since Chesterton is far too vast an author to be confined to one book. The Complete Thinker is geared towards both readers with a minimal knowledge of Chesterton as well as Chesterton experts, as well as anybody who wants a fresh view of the most controversial issues of our time. If one is already a Chesterton fan, The Complete Thinker is a fine way to add to one’s appreciation of Chesterton. If one is unfamiliar or negatively disposed towards Chesterton, this book may win him some new fans.
–Chris Chan
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