Why study Logic?

Logic is of the greatest importance. Logic is one of the most important courses in a classical education. It is the only course that you will be taking this year that is in the school’s mission statement. The philosophy of the school was actually formed around this subject! Building upon the foundation of the Core Knowledge Sequence, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy: A Challenge Foundation Academy partners with families to educate students in grades K-12 in the trivium of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric, thus graduating thoughtful, articulate young adults who are prepared for college and for a lifetime of citizenship and active intellectual inquiry.

Logic can be used everywhere! Logic teaches us to think in an orderly, organized fashion. The principles of logic can be applied to whatever we are thinking about.

Logic solves problems. Later we will study what Logic is, but for now, we can simply say, Logic is the art of problem solving. “How should I understand this? How should I organize this? What should I think about this? What should I do next? How should I make this?” Logic helps us answer these questions. Almost any decision we make, or every thought we think, can be viewed as a problem that needs to be solved.

Logic helps readers Logic will help us read more clearly and effectively. It helps us understand and assess what we read.

Logic helps writers Logic will help us to write more clearly and effectively as well. It helps us organize our thoughts, eliminate what is unnecessary, and lay out a story, letter, poem, or whatever in a way that makes sense and flows.

Logic vs. manipulation Logic can help us judge which of our authorities to trust. We generally believe what we read in news magazines or newspapers, or what we see on TV news. We may face the Internet sources with a little more suspicion, and with good reason. What reason tells us, though, is that even newspapers may not tell us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. They may omit things that are unfavorable to their viewpoint. We should use logic to take things with a grain of salt and look for the whole story.

Logic helps us make choices Logic can help us make good decisions. We can reason through what the consequences for our actions are likely to be. It can help us decide what is probable and what is unlikely.

Truth & Opinion Logic gives us the power of proof and persuasion. The power of logic can be used to prove truth and defeat error, or it can be used just to win an argument and defeat your opponent. Unless truth is on your side, you have misused logic.

Logic & Error Logic helps us recognize error. What if two statements contradict each other? Logic tells us that one must be wrong. But logic also helps us understand what each statement meanz. If the statements really contradict, which one is true and which is false? We can decide by finding reasons and evidence.

Logic & Truth Logic helps us find truth. Logic makes us define our terms so we understand what we mean, and demands that we give good reasons, arguments, and proofs.

Logic & Citizenship Logic helps us be better citizens. Thomas Jefferson said, “In a republican nation, whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of the first importance.”

Logic & Experimental Science Logic helps us organize the evidence of Experiments to develop Scientific theories. It helps us rule out faulty theories and find support for new theories. It helps us interpret the results of experiments so that we can decide what theories the data support.

Logic & math Because Logic is more certain than mathematics, it can help mathematics also find certainty. The principles and conclusions of Logic do not change. Like mathematics, logic is reliable. Logic can be applied to new things with the same results.

Logic & Wisdom Logic helps us become wise. Philosophy (Фιλοσοφια) means “love of wisdom” and logic is one of the main tools of philosophy.

Logic & Religious Faith Just as the evidence of Experiments is organized logically to develop Scientific theories, and the starting points of mathematics are developed to discover mathematical truths, so the evidence of Faith is organized by Logic to develop Religious doctrines. For example, “The hand of the Lord is upon us,” suggests that God has a body, but “God is spirit” suggests that He does not. It is illogical to insist that both conclusions are true. Faith understands through Logic that one of these statements must be a metaphor. Faith is not science, but both Science and Faith must be logical. Logic may also be used to draw out the implications of religious beliefs, or disprove phony arguments against religious belief.

Logic knows its limits The logical man is not a robot because logic shows him that logic is just a tool, not the whole story. Logic helps us know when logic has reach its limit. Sometimes we need spirituality, morality, emotion, creativity and/or intuition. But even when we need to go beyond the limits of logic, logic can still assist with these other realms. It helps us see when, and can tell us whether, our creative ideas are going to work, when our emotions are helping or hindering our thinking, whether our intuitional, spiritual or moral leanings are irrational or reasonable.

ASSIGNMENT Write a letter to yourself. As sophomores in high school, you are at a critical point in your lives. In just nine months, you will be halfway through your high school careers. In your letter, perhaps you could write about your hopes, goals, fears, things you’d like to change about yourself, etc. No one will read this letter but you. the letter to me. It is due this Wednesday, for a grade of either 100 or 0. I will glance at your letter to ensure you’ve completed it. I will return the letter back to you next May. Begin!