– Why we do it –
There is no shortage of information in our present day world. The internet and Google have put an endless array of information at our fingertips. Schools often teach students information, but spend significantly less time teaching pupils how to think in a logical way.
Students are seldom asked to define their terms, draw out assumptions, spot logical fallacies and make proper inferences. Without these tools, people can be easily deceived by advertisements and propaganda. On the other hand, a person trained in Logic is able to make arguments that are well-founded and consistent.
Logic is a tool that helps us decipher truth from falsehood. Scripture admonishes us to not let anyone take us captive by the hollow and deceptive philosophies of the world (Colossians 2:8). This will not happen if we familiarize ourselves with the one who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The proper use of Logic is one way that we fulfill God’s command to love Him with all our mind (Matthew 22:37).
– How we teach it –
Children are born with the ability to reason. Even without teaching them, children impress us with their ability to argue a point or come up with good reasons why they should have what they want. Since God has bestowed this incredible gift from an early age, we should not shy away from developing reasoning skills at an early age.
In the younger grades, teachers challenge students to think well through a series of open-ended questions. For example, while reading through Pinocchio, a teacher might ask a student what he thinks will happen next and why he thinks that. She might ask what evidence exists that Pinocchio can feel pain even if the text does not explicitly state that he does. She might ask what Pinocchio teaches us about our own lives. These types of questions train students to think beyond the words on the page and provide solid reasons for their thoughts.
By Middle School, students begin to challenge certain assumptions that they took for granted earlier on. They are not satisfied with just learning things; they want to know why things are the way they are. This is the perfect time to teach them how to think in a formal way. For this reason, in seventh and eighth grade, our students take classes in Formal and Informal Logic.
Formal Logic studies whether an argument is valid or invalid and what makes it so. Informal Logic deals with the identification of logical fallacies (e.g. Strawman, Red herring, False dilemma, etc). We provide our students with a host of examples so that they do not fall prey to fallacious arguments.
Especially in the upper grades, our teachers are accustomed to asking thought-provoking questions that require students to take a side and then see if the student can defend their position. For example, a teacher might ask if there is ever a time when it is right to drive an animal species into extinction, or if dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was justified, or why the material universe obeys immaterial mathematical laws.
Teachers help students pursue truth by means of the Socratic Method. This involves first exposing any thinking that is unfounded or inconsistent through questioning and then, instead of giving students answers, asking questions that allow them to arrive at truth on their own. This type of teaching is preferable to spoon-feeding answers because it gives students ownership in their learning and allows them to grow in their ability to think.
Another technique for cultivating thoughtful students is through Socratic Seminars. In these seminars, the teacher sets the stage for a conversation by having the students research a topic or argument, and then allows them the time to converse with each other on their own around a table. Students are encouraged to ask insightful questions, use arguments backed by evidence and logic, and disagree politely and civilly.