Material Logic from Memoria Press

According to author Martin Cothran, the study of material logic is largely ignored in this day and age, sometimes even by classical educators. Formal logic, or logic which is largely concerned with the structure of an argument, is the primary form of logic students are now exposed to. This trend, however, has not always been the case. Material logic, or the study of the content of an argument, was for many years a natural part of the language-centered Trivium. The author is attempting to re-establish the importance of material logic with this series (although only one book is available at this time, another is planned for the future). It is designed to follow up Memoria's Traditional Logic books or as an introductory logic course for high school students. Material Logic takes a systematic approach to the subject, studying the three basic divisions of material logic: the ten modes of being, the five predicables, and the three modes of knowledge. The modes of being, or the ten categories of being, are the ten ways in which something can be described to "be." The five predicables are the five ways you can say something about a thing. The modes of knowledge include definition, division, and argumentation. Material Logic contains 15 chapters/lessons, each with several pages of text and a handful of exercises to help the student thoroughly understand what was covered.

Lesson 1 gives an outline of traditional logic, Lesson 2 teaches simple apprehension, and Lesson 3 covers comprehension and extension, before the three divisions are covered in more depth. Lessons 4-6 cover the ten categories, Lessons 7 and 8 cover the five predicables, and Lessons 9-13 cover "the expression of comprehension". Lessons 14 and 15 cover division and an analysis of "Idols of the Mind" by Sir Francis Bacon. Several appendices are included for extra teaching help. The textual portions of the lessons have wide margins to mark in, and the exercises are divided by day, with about 4-5 days-worth of exercises for each chapter. A corresponding answer key contains answers to each of the daily exercises. The Student Text and Answer Key are available separately or as a set. Instructional Videos are now available through online streaming, or on DVDs. ~ Jess