Joseph Rash

English 102
Salyers
7 Sep. 2015
Education with the Trivium
The trivium is an important educational tool that will help anyone who seeks to use it.
This is because the trivium contains three important stages, those being grammar, logic, and
rhetoric. This paper will explain why each subject is important, how to use them, and why it is
imperative to teach each subject.
The first stage of the trivium is grammar. This is the stage in which one will develop the
skill to properly read and write. Without it, we could not understand each other, as words would
be misspelled, syntax (arrangement of words in a cohesive order) would not be implemented,
definitions of words and phrases would be skewered etc...
Logic is the next phase of the trivium. In this phase one will learn how to compose
arguments and how to spot logical fallacies. This phase is important because it provides people
the ability to make decisions based on logic. People will realize that some arguments are simply
not good to use. One example is the commonly used argument by authority. This argument states
that just because someone said something that makes it right. The problem is that the person
saying something has no bearing as to whether or not it is right. The person saying something
shouldn't be analyzed, it should be the thing they are saying that should be.
Another type of common logical fallacy is poisoning the well. In this instance, someone
is trying to discredit another by bringing up something that is unrelated to the matter at hand.
Here is an example: Clyde is trying to sell Sue a purse. Barbara calls Clyde a communist and that

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he should not be listened to because of that reason. Sue listens to Barbara and declines Clyde's
offer because he is a communist. Both Sue and Clyde are victims of the poisoning of the well
fallacy because Sue doesn't have a purse to put her things in and Clyde doesn't get the money he
needs. Not only this, but Sue didn't actually consider the usefulness of the purse and instead
decided that Clyde was the reason she wasn't going to buy the purse, instead of the purse being
the reason she wasn't going to buy the purse. Barbara also does not realize that Clyde being a
communist has no bearing on how well the purse might fit for Sue.
One more common logical fallacy includes argument ad populum, which states that
because a majority of people believe in an argument, it must be true. The phrase "everyone is
doing it" is a great example of argument ad populum as it presents an action that is good because
it proposes that no one is opposed to it. The first problem is that the presenter of the argument
actually does not have confirmation that literally every person on earth is doing the action
described. Secondly, it doesn't confirm that the thing that supposedly everyone is doing is
actually good to do. If everyone is consuming large amounts of alcohol, does that address the
health issues that consuming large amounts of alcohol will bring? No it doesn't.
Notice in all of these logical fallacies that the fallacy being made does not actually
address the issue of something being right or wrong and instead focuses on who is saying
something. If any of these fallacies were to be done away with, then people would be able to
come closer to living a good life.
One of the best things I've read is Plato's Allegory of the Cave. To abridge it down to
really simplistic terms, Plato says in it that people spend too much time focusing on things that
don't matter and should instead focus on philosophy. I find this to be a good look on life as a
focus on philosophy (and by extension logic) would lead to more people being able to think on

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their own, and more people being able to think on their own means less people falling for
illogical arguments, and less illogical arguments and way of thoughts would lead to a progression
of society into a better future.
The last stage of the trivium is rhetoric. Rhetoric is the study of argument and is used to
persuade people via logical arguments. This is the most advanced stage of the trivium and
requires extensive knowledge of both grammar and logic to use effectively. It requires users to
compose logical arguments and present them in a grammatically correct and convincing fashion.
There are three primary rhetorical strategies that can be used, pathos, logos, and ethos. Ethos is
appeal to credibility, pathos is appeal to emotion, and logos is appeal to logic. Ethos is
commonly used to let the audience know who the speaker is and what they have done to deserve
some attention to their perspective on an issue. Pathos is used to inspire people, whether that be
out of fear, anger, or any other emotion that would incite action. Logos is used convince people
that the speaker's way of thinking is superior to other ways of thinking through the use of logic.
The downside of rhetoric (for a lack of better terms) is that those who have not studied
logic will fall to fallacies, and those who know people that haven't learned how to use logic will
be able to abuse this. Ethos can be used to trick people into thinking someone is a valuable
source when they are not. Pathos can deceive by letting people's emotions override their logic.
Finally, logos can be manipulated by stating something that is not logically stable and having
people believe it. It isn't really rhetoric's fault as much as it is people not having the opportunity
to learn about it.
The trivium is important because it teaches people how to logically approach any
situation and provides the guidelines on how to live an intellectually stable life, and how to use
one's life to be a positive influence on others to bring about a better future.

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Work Citation
"The Internet Classics Archive | The Republic by Plato." The Internet Classics Archive | The
Republic by Plato. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
Weber, Ryan, and Allen Brizee. "Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: Logic in
Argumentative Writing. N.p., 11 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.