Logic in Education

I was once a full-time teacher. I earned 2 degrees, one in Education from a very well known liberal education university in Southern Alberta, and one in Science (from the same university). I thought myself a pretty smart guy. I was a part of a global machine, making the world a better place through public education. How proud I was...until two things happened. The first was when my older sister (not university educated like myself) asked me a simple question. "How do we date fossils?" The answer was easy, considering I was a school teacher AND had a degree in Science, geography at that! "You date the fossil by the rock layer." I responded smartly. "I see," she said. "How then do you date the rock layer?" Again, slam dunk answer from Mr. Smart Guy. "You date the rock layer by the index fossil." I replied. Then, awkward silence...





She and my brother-in-law (also not university educated) let me repeat this exercise a couple more times, hoping I would be able to see the light. I did not. Now, before I give the farm away dear reader...can you see the problem? If you cannot, do not fear, for you are simply a product of your education system.





Circular reasoning. This is the problem. Circular reasoning is nonsense and illogical, yet enmasse we in our schooling have been taught not HOW to think, but WHAT to think. Logic and reasoning went by the wayside in schooling (including private, Catholic, and for the most part home-schooling as well) decades ago when it was deemed to be unimportant. The consequences of such action has led us to where we are today. Most people do not (and cannot) pick out logical errors, for they have never been taught such a thing. Because of this, our society is easily swayed by opinion and inference, which, under tighter scrutiny, falls under the laws of logic.





I am currently educating myself in the laws of Logic (with every intention of teaching them to my children), through a book called Logic by Isaac Watts. You can get a copy of the book here. Watts makes some interesting points in the introduction, namely the importance of logic. He states "...truth lies deep and is difficult to reach. Logic supplies the steps whereby we may reach it" (page 2). He also argues "we are deceived by our senses, by our imaginations, by our passions and appetites...we are led into frequent errors according to false and flattering principles rather than according to the nature of things."





In our fallen state, we are easily deceived, and unless we have tools to help us wade through the falsehoods presented, we will be led further from the truth. Isaac Watts has written this book to help us understand the simple laws of logic and reason, to help us with our search for truth, and how to recognize falsehoods and lies. What is especially eye-opening is that this book, written in 1724, was originally a book for grade-school aged children, not pompous, university-educated types like myself. Now, if you'll pardon me, I have to reread the introduction as I didn't understand half of it.

Oh, and the second thing...I started reading my Bible.