Logic

Why is Logic Taught?

When people hear the term “logic” they think of something associated with mathematics. There are, in fact, many modern approaches to logic that are quite mathematical involving the manipulation of symbols and operators. These types of logic do have their place. But, at New Albion Academy School of Logic we teach what is often called traditional logic.

Traditional logic has been taught for well over 2000 years and is based upon the observations of Aristotle. Traditional logic is the second subject of the trivium and is therefore a continuation of the study in language. Traditional logic concerns itself with the logical aspect of language. It studies words and the categories and ideas that they represent, statements that are built from words, and, finally, arguments which are crafted from statements. The student studies how to create valid arguments and how to detect invalid arguments in written and spoken language.

...to think rightly
So why study logic? Isn’t studying grammar enough? No, it is not. This is because language is not made of grammar only. The grammar of language is used to express ideas and often, arguments. "Logic is…the science of right thinking", said the logician Raymond McCall. So, students must learn logic in order to think rightly which leads to effective, logical communication. This is the first and most basic reason why logic is taught at New Albion.

....to wonder
The second reason logic is taught at New Albion Academy is because it causes us to wonder at the way we are able to think and at the world God has made. “The beginning of philosophy is wonder”, said Josef Pieper, a 20th century philosopher. The first topic in the study of logic is how humans perceive the world around them, form ideas of this world, and then verbalize these ideas with words. The way in which humans are able to do these things is awe-inspiring, and understanding these processes will make the student a better human being. It will cause them to ask new questions about themselves and the world which God has purposefully created.

...to categorize
The third reason logic is taught is because logic teaches students a comprehensive system whereby they can categorize any material or immaterial thing. In other words, they learn to mentally organize the cosmos that God has made. Logic also teaches students to make accurate and complete definitions of things and then to properly communicate those definitions. This teaches him accurate thinking and sharpens his mind. Additionally, logic teaches students how to form accurate and complete statements. Students learn how to compare statements to test whether they are logically equivalent or whether the truth of one statement, for instance, leads to the truth of another. This is vital because the student, at this juncture, is learning how to compare and contrast the ideas of a particular statement to another. But, logic also teaches students how to create and articulate good arguments. Arguments are reasons organized in a certain manner in order to prove a conclusion true. We are frequently faced with situations where we must either make an argument or test one that we read. Logic teaches students the rules and procedures to be able to construct and recognize valid arguments.

Logic forms critical habits of thinking.
Logic teaches students to always define their terms and to test the definitions of others; it creates the habit of testing the truthfulness of statements and verifying the trustworthiness of their own conclusions and those of others. Logic teaches a student these things because logic is preeminently concerned with the attainment of truth. And what could be more important to a Christian? As the logician Martin Cothran has said, “Logic directs the mind towards truth.”

Topics – What is Taught in Logic?

Logic study at New Albion takes at least two full years. The first level studies formal logic. Formal logic is the study of the form of the arguments apart from the particular meaning or truthfulness of the terms. The second level is called material logic. Material logic studies how words are related to the ideas they signify. It also studies how we can know the meaning of an idea and how that idea is related to other ideas particularly within arguments.

Logic Level I – Formal Logic

Overview of all mental processes
Overview of terms, judgment, and deductive inference
Terms and statements and their properties
Study of the syllogism
Immediate inferences
Translating normal English into categorical form
Practice creating valid syllogisms
Drills in logic vocabulary
Study of several well-known arguments from C.S. Lewis, Thomas Aquinas, and Descartes.

Logic Level II – Material Logic

In-depth study of mental processes
Categorization principles
Rules of Good Definition
Drills in logic vocabulary
Analysis of well-known arguments from Vincent McNabb, Thomas Aquinas, Sir Francis Bacon, and Hillaire Belloc.

We learn, not for school, but for life.
PO Box 5458, Everett, WA 98206 | 425.923.8473 | community@newalbionacademy.org

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