Learn about the Logic Seminar, and preview all the lessons!
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The Logic Seminar Overview
Overview
Originally written by the great hymn writer, Isaac Watts in 1724, Logic helps guide young people in clear thinking and exercising their senses to discern between good and evil. Presented by Daniel Valles, this seminar is almost four hours long, covering many of the highlights from the book. Divided into over forty short lessons (on average five minutes long), the Seminar presents Logic in plain English, while also presenting the sense and depth that Isaac Watts intended.
What Makes Isaac Watt’s Logic Unique?
- Focuses on clear thinking, not logical fallacies.
Isaac Watts wrote his book called Logic in 1724 to help guide young people in clear thinking and exercising their senses to discern between good and evil. Unlike other Logic courses which focus on recognizing logical fallacies, Isaac Watts deliberately chose not to emphasize them. His perspective was that if a person could think clearly, know how ideas should be put together, know how to come to right conclusions, know what can affect their judgment and know rules for judging right, then they would be much more equipped to recognize wrong thinking (logical fallacies) in themselves and others.
Isaac Watts’ Logic was to teach the individual how to think clearly - not teach them solely how to recognize wrong thinking in others. While he spends a brief time going over some of the more widely-used logical fallacies, his overall intent is to build your thinking so that you can mentally recognize and flag a fallacy in logic, even if you do not know the term. - Christian Perspective
One of the reasons Isaac Watts wrote Logic was to help equip young people with clear thinking. If we cannot think clearly, then we may not interpret God’s Word clearly. He provides many Scripture references and illustrations, emphasizing the need for discernment, just like the Apostle Paul. - Life Applications
Isaac Watts provides dozens of rules and tips to help us make clear and just decisions in a wide variety of areas in life. His ultimate goal is to have your reason used correctly, and to build your thinking and discernment.
What Is The Emphasis of The Logic Seminar?
This pie chart represents all of the lessons covered in the Logic Seminar, and closely mirrors the attention given in Isaac Watts’ book. Besides helping the student learn the fundamentals behind their thinking, they are largely taught what makes good thinking, how to judge rightly, and to be aware of what can affect or influence our thinking. Only once Isaac Watts covers those areas well, does he briefly cover recognizing logical fallacies as recognizable patterns of wrong thinking.
What Makes This DVD Seminar Unique?
- Engaging Colonial Theme
Learning about Logic doesn’t have to be boring! Set in 1776, the cinematic sequences make the seminar more engaging, emphasize certain key points, and also act as visual metaphors and illustrations. Hundreds of custom illustrations, workbook cues, custom photography and cinematics, combine to make the Logic Seminar easy to understand for a wide variety of ages, and an enjoyable viewing experience! - Christian Discernment Emphasis
While 95% of the Seminar is Isaac Watt’s material, we have bolstered some sections with additional Scripture verses to further emphasize the need for proper discernment and stewardship of our mind. - Updated, Yet Still Isaac Watts
Virtually all of the examples and illustrations were cited from his book. Only one or two example illustrations were updated for familiarity and relevance. Editing was very careful on the narration to preserve the richness of Isaac Watts’ language and thought, while also making it understandable to the young people of our time. Because Isaac Watts lived in England, there were a few rewording edits needed for familiarity to the American culture. Overall, the seminar is largely a faithful representation of the major highlights from his book. - Student Workbook & Teacher Guide
The video, student and teacher materials were all designed together to help the student get the most out of the Logic material. - Supplemental Materials
On our website’s Resources section, we are continually working to add free supplemental materials such as lesson work sheets and study guides. There is a lot of information in the Logic Seminar, and we want to provide you with the tools to get the most out of it, as well as make the learning process as easy as possible for both student and teacher.