The Trivium is the first part of the classical liberal arts curriculum. It consists of three arts: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. These are the arts of human language. They were studied in the schools of classical antiquity and the Catholic Church and served as the foundation for all higher learning.
In modern educational circles, there is great confusion because modern schools do not even mention the Trivium or teach these arts, and a fake classical education movement has led students away from the true study of Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric. The term “Trivium” has been misused. In the twentieth century, a writer named Dorothy Sayers proposed that the Trivium should be reinterpreted to describe three developmental “stages of learning”—a grammar stage for memorization, a logic stage for questioning, and a rhetoric stage for expression. This interpretation has no basis in the historical meaning of the Trivium and is not found in any classical or Christian source. Unfortunately, it has been allowed become the foundation of what is commonly called the “classical education movement,” which has replaced the true classical liberal arts with a modern system that uses their names but really has nothing to do with them. The true Trivium refers not to any “stages of learning” but to three distinct arts that must be studied and mastered for one to be prepared for the study of classical philosophy and Scholastic theology.
Grammar is the first of the three arts of ancient Trivium. It is the art of the correct use and interpretation of language. In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, Grammar is studied by the use of time-tested systematic texts that allow us to understand classical languages — Latin and Greek — as well as English. The art of Grammar consists of four parts. Orthography is the study of the letters and sounds of a language. Etymology is the study of the forms of the parts of speech of which a language is composed. Syntax is the study of how the parts of speech are joined together to form sentences. Prosody is the study of proper accent, pronunciation and meter in a language, ultimately leading to the study of poetry. Mastery of grammar provides the necessary foundation for reading, interpretation and communication.
Logic is the second art of the ancient Trivium. It is the art of reasoning correctly. In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, logic is studied through Aristotle’s “Organon”, in our Classical Reasoning courses. We learn to understand how objects outside the mind, things we perceive with the senses, are represented with ideas in the mind, and how these ideas are represented by words in spoken and written language. We learn how ideas are joined together to form propositions, which are true or false. We learn how propositions are joined together to form arguments. We learn of different kinds of reasoning–demonstrative and dialectical and what purposes they serve. We learn of the dangers of false reasoning by which we may be deceived. The study of Logic teaches students to pursue the knowledge of what is unknown by means of what is known.
Rhetoric is the third art of the Trivium. It is the art of speaking and writing in a way that is fitting, persuasive, and true. In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, rhetoric is studied through the ancient rhetorical treatises of Aristotle and Cicero, the leading ancient masters of the art. Students learn the means by which men are persuaded, the necessary parts that make up an effective speech, the proper style of speech for different occasions, the relationship between communiation and moral philosophy. The study of the art of rhetoric not only prepares students to communicate effectively, but also to interpret the communication of others and guard themselves against deceptive communication.
The Trivium, when studied rightly, will prepare students for the study of classical Philosophy and Scholastic Theology. A student who is presented with a false version of the Trivium invented by modern educators will not be provided with the benefits needed from the arts of Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric and will not be prepared for philosophy and theology. Getting the Trivium right is crucial for a real classical Catholic education.
