STGB is in the very early phase of constructing a 7-9th logic curriculum. Presently I am researching various ways to progress through the relevant material (course sequence), how to best interact with primary source materials (Plato, Aristotle, and others), and playing with different kinds of exercises to help students master the material. I thought it would be good, and hopefully exciting to you, to share a few of the core commitments that are guiding the development of this 3 years worth of logic curriculum:
The STGB logic curriculum will explicitly teach the relationship of Logic and human reasoning to the nature of the triune God of the Bible and his immutable perfections. This curriculum will affirm and teach Christian metaphysical realism (c.f. Augustine and Aquinas), contra to metaphysical nominalism (c.f. Ockham and most logicians thereafter).1 This being the case, the STGB logic curriculum will introduce students to the basics of philosophical theology, starting with Scripture’s teaching about the nature of God, as an appropriate introduction to learning and practicing logic.
The STGB curriculum will interact with, and be conscious of, the things students are learning and reading in their primary-source History and Literature courses (which serve as the foundation stones of the entire STGB curriculum). Why not cross-pollinate with the learning going on simultaneously in other classes? As such, many examples of arguments and practice exercises will be drawn from, or at least correlate with, the texts they have already read, are reading, or will be reading in the near future.
The STGB logic curriculum will operate under the assumption that Christian apologetics has no better home in a classical curriculum than in logic class. As such, while students are learning to construct good arguments (and destroy bad ones) they will also be learning classical arguments for God’s existence, how to make the case for the resurrection of Christ, the reliability of the Bible, and more. Students will also examine the logical argumentation found in Scripture itself (particularly in the teachings of Isaiah, Jesus, and Paul).
The STGB logic curriculum will cover a wide range of logic material. Students will learn how to spot formal and informal logical fallacies, they will become competent in Aristotelian (categorical) Logic, Propositional (symbolic) Logic, and Inductive Logic.
Finally, the STGB logic curriculum will bridge the gap between logic in the abstract and logic as useful in daily life. We use logic when reading our Bibles (or any other book), when talking with friends and family, in math and science, in deciding what we will do this weekend, and pretty much everywhere else. Students will learn to construct sound arguments to articulate and defend all that they hold dear. The goal is for students to use this as an everyday part of their life, and to not just see it as a “subject” at school.
There are already some good logic texts out there. I mentioned some of the best ones when I wrote about “Why Christians Should Study Logic”. In my opinion the James Nance texts from Canon Press and Martin Cothran’s texts from Memoria Press are by far the best presently on the market which are already geared toward Classical Christian Education. Of the other good texts out there few are well adapted to the classroom or a homeschool setting. Some other logic texts on the market (even some marketed to CCE) are just not very good.2 Few texts are explicitly committed to metaphysical realism (particularly the belief that Logic is tied to God’s unchanging perfections), which means they share more assumptions in common with Kant and Hume than they do with biblically inclined Christian thinkers. Most texts available barely touch on inductive reasoning (if they teach it at all).
My purpose here is not to bash on any other curriculum. I am very thankful for what is already available and I have personally benefited from it. Nevertheless, I see room for more good options to be made available. I believe the STGB logic curriculum will serve the CCE community well by holding to the above stated commitments. Lord willing, this material will be seamlessly presented and fill some gaps which are present in a number of other curriculums. The logic curriculum will also serve as the precursor to a, yet future, Rhetoric curriculum which will pick up where this material leaves off. From powerful reasoning and argument writing in the STGB logic curriculum students will go on to learn the powerful means of persuasion in speech making while also inheriting a strong love for, and commitment to, Christian virtue. I hope and pray that once completed the entire STGB curriculum will be a blessing to many faithful Christian families all around the world for years to come. It is a pleasure to be working on this project and a pleasure to be serving you.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Jacob Allee
I understand that this may not mean much to some who haven’t studied the matter but it is a centrally important issue as it relates to our current cultural madness. Do all things that exist have a fundamental and unchangeable essence or are things only classified by human observers according to appearance? If the former, men are men and women are women. If the latter, they are really whatever we decide to say they are. Who is the determiner of the nature of things? God or man?
No, I won’t name names. Just know that there are some bad ones out there.
So who put the silly in syllogism?
Men have B.O.
I have B.O.
Therefore I am a man.
wait for it....
I stink therefore I am
I have to say, #4 is choice. I love it, I don't have anything critical to say at this time.
However, being a fan of what you are putting together, I will say I am a bit biased.
So, as with all things I gravitate towards, I have this bookmarked to read through again tomorrow morning because I can't imagine there's NOTHING I can't comment on!
Awesome and obviously well thought out work, sir.