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What Dialectic is to Rhetoric, Logic is to
Philosophy. Logic is the key without which the study of Philosophy
is a sealed vault--and over the past three centuries, this vault has
been sealed very securely. School men of the past could not have
imagined an education that did not include the art of Logic, yet God has
given us the opportunity to overcome this present dark age.
Few are aware that the "Scientific Method"
was originally drafted by Francis Bacon in 1620 as the "New" Method.
It was a revolution in human thought that suggested that the art of
Logic be abandoned as the way of truth-seeking. In his rejection
of the Catholic faith, Bacon argued that Logic, in the hands of the
Scholastics (e.g., St. Albert the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas), was merely
a tool for confirming errors and superstitions. It should
not surprise us that this revolution took place in the same age as the
Protestant Reformation.
Thus, if you are a Catholic who wonders what
it is that distinguishes our generation of Catholic irrelevance and
liberalism from those generations of Catholic conquest and tradition
that mark the middle ages, you can find it here. As we restore
Logic to its deserved place among the chief of our studies, we will see
order restored.
Go deeper: To read St. Augustine's
explanation of the logical arts, read chapters 31-37 of Book II in On
Christian Doctrine.
Read it here. |
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THE DOCTORS' SECRET
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We cannot pretend to admire the
Doctors of the Church while neglecting the study of Logic.
It was the art of Logic, guided by the light of the Holy
Catholic Church, that established the depths of Christian
learning we take for granted today. By embracing modern
methods of investigation we indirectly approve of the attacks on
the Doctors that led to the abandonment of their traditional
methods. We can restore our intellectual communion through
the study and use of classical Logic. |
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COURSE OVERVIEW
Logic is not merely the "art of Reason" as
many suggest. Reason is of two kinds: Dialectical and
Demonstrative. Dialectical reasoning is concerned with showing
others, through strategic dialog, that their opinions are not
satisfactory answers to whatever question is at hand.
Demonstrative reasoning takes no thought of the opinions of others, but
of absolute truth itself, or self-evident propositions, by which we may
answer purely philosophical or theological questions. Thus,
Dialectic is studied before Rhetoric, as it pertains to opinions and
debate. Logic is studied before Philosophy as it pertains to the
quest for truth. The first year of Philosophy consists of the
study of Logic in the Organon of Aristotle.
COURSE AVAILABILITY
Logic is studied in the first year of Philosophy. As CLAA
students currently make their way through the classical liberal arts curriculum in
preparation for the study of Philosophy, we will be making this course
available to students upon demand. The first students are expected
to begin Classical Logic in 2010-12.
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