TPT 1: Formal Logic

Trivium-Philosophy-Theology 1: Formal Logic This class emphasizes the structure of logical reasoning, the form that right reasoning takes. It begins with an Aristotelian account of the three acts of the intellect: simple apprehension, judgment, and reasoning. These acts are verbalized as terms, propositions, and syllogisms, respectively. With this background, the students learn the four types of logical proposition, the square of opposition for understanding the ways in which those propositions are related, and the rules for combining propositions into syllogisms without error. The course concludes with the consideration of various complex forms of the syllogism and numerous case studies of famous arguments. The second half of the year emphasizes the practice of "translating" and analyzing "ordinary language arguments."