I serve on the board of directors of a classical Christian school that uses the “Trivium” as the foundation for its academic program. The Trivium, comprised of three distinct stages (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) was the system of education adopted during the Roman period to develop the "capable" Roman citizen. Refined in the medieval period, the Trivium is responsible for giving western civilization many of our greatest thinkers, doers, and leaders. Most of our founding fathers were taught under the Trivium system, as were most educated people in the western world until the middle of the nineteenth century. The beauty of the Trivium is that it plays to a child’s natural strengths. For example, elementary school children, whose minds are like sponges, are taught to memorize the grammar (or language) of their subjects. Junior high school-aged children, who are naturally disputatious, are taught how to think clearly and reason effectively during the logic stage, and older teenagers, with their natural desire to be accepted, are taught how to present themselves well during the rhetoric stage.
Years ago when our school implemented the Trivium system we were short a logic teacher. It quickly became obvious the number of people in Whitefish, Montana willing and/or capable of teaching logic to thirteen year olds was small to non-existent, so I volunteered. Having never taken any logic classes previously, I spent a year preparing in advance. As I created my lesson plans, I realized how I had been cheated by my own public education because like most Americans, I was never taught how to reason effectively. While students in ancient Rome learned the Three Laws of Thought, the Three Parts of Persuasion, and the Square of Opposition, none of the 20th century public schools I attended ever taught me to think critically or argue effectively. I am especially frustrated that the university I attended never required its graduates to demonstrate a firm grasp of critical thinking, but instead kept logic and argumentation well hidden in the obscure philosophy department.
Learning logic for the first time as an adult was like having my optometrist fit me with a correct set of eyeglasses. The whole world appeared clearer, and I wondered how much I had missed before I could see. Many subjects I previously found dull, such as political science, economics, and religion, were surprisingly more interesting once I had a basic understanding of logic. While it is certainly lamentable that I wasn’t taught logic as a youngster, I am excited that the internet has allowed me to pursue the education I never received. While there are few things more obnoxious than a recent convert, I am looking forward to dedicating a number of future blogs to logical principles.
