The Trivium and the Language Arts

The first step of entering a new field of study is often understanding the basic vocabulary—classical education is one of those fields. The term Trivium is likely one of the most used words in Christian classical education (CCE), so it warrants some explanation. The word itself comes from the Latin words for three and ways. These are the three ways of learning. The Trivium is the group of three liberal arts that pertain to language, and it consists of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. 

A liberal arts education is not an end in itself. It is specifically geared toward freeing students from their base natures and limitations; the Trivium gives students freedom to read, write, debate, reason, persuade, and express themselves. It is made up of three arts. Clark and Jain help us understand something about these arts: 

“A science could thus describe any such body of knowledge. Subjects as diverse as ethics and mechanics could be described as sciences… An art could only be attained from an extensive foundation in action and imitation forming cultivated habits… It is particularly an art that joins imitation with reason in order to produce something. An art is the nexus between imitation and science… An art must be the well-ingrained imitative habit honed by its accompanying science.” The Liberal Arts Tradition, 40.

Historically, sciences have meant knowledge, but the arts are more than simple data. Mastering the language arts is the process of gaining reason and skill with words. Data, ideas, and memorization are all part of the art, but the intended result of the arts is to produce reason-based skills and an intuition based on practice. One can learn the rules, parameters, and practices of any subject, but there is a level of knowledge thatcan only be revealed through imitation and consistent practice. Knowing grammar rules is not enough; one must write; notes on fallacies are good, but one must debate; writing essays is required, but moving others to action or assent through speech is an art.

Whereas education can be reduced to intellectual achievements, the liberal arts produce a person that is capable of pursuing his goals and meeting his needs—because he has understood and practiced the language and mathematical arts. 

Grammar - Writing has a unique effect of forcing one to organize their own thoughts. Niklas Luhmann said, “One cannot think without writing.” As adults, we miss the reality that writing coherent ideas on paper takes practice. The rules of grammar are ingrained into us such that we don’t often consider them; but children, however, have to learn how phrases, clauses, and punctuation all fit together. Where adults can focus on ideas, children have the hurdle of the words themselves. This literal word puzzle forces students to consider how and what they think. Part of grammar education is learning from the masters. This is the mimetic part of the education: seeing how others have thought and written before. Along with reading great works, they learn the rules. Both parts are necessary. 

Logic - Once students are comfortable with language and have ingested the stories, ideas, and passions of others, they are tasked with evaluating them. Logic teaches students to pit the masters against one another to either disprove one or find a synthesis of the two. Part of that evaluation might involve asking, “How does what I’ve just read relate to other things that I know?” If students have absorbed data, now the goal is to comprehend the relationships between them, like consequences, disagreements, and motivations. The goal here is to create genuine students who study and investigate what they consume.

Rhetoric - If logic is understanding the relationships between two or more ideas, then creativity is creating new connections between them; and rhetoric takes the understanding of data and their relationships and connects them to a new audience. Rhetoric is sharing information, understanding, passion, conviction, and virtue with creativity and persuasiveness. Presidential speechwriter James Humes said, “The art of communication is the language of leadership,” and the rhetorical process bears this out. Students who become proficient in rhetoric are able “to move, to instruct, and to delight,” as Cicero summarized. Rhetoric gives grammar and logic mobility.

Caveat: CCE tends to use these terms with dual meanings. It is worth noting that two of the modern usages can substitute what is meant by the historical definition, if one is not aware of it. Grammar can be used to describe the broad fundamentals of any subject—this is a very common usage. One might call multiplication flashcards as covering the grammar of mathematics. Most schools within the Association of Christian Classical Schools also label their elementary, middle, and high schools as grammar, logic, and rhetoric. If one accepts the three as arts in and of themselves that should be practiced at every level of schooling (though at varying degrees), then all is right with the world. 

For a moment, consider that a student did not learn the skills concerning words, evaluation, or communication. Would he be productive, or would he be restricted to his lack of knowledge? He would be unable to read and learn new ideas. His ideas would be untested and without relation to other ideas. This student would lack the ability to invigorate others with his own thoughts and words.

This is why they are liberal arts of language; the man must learn to be free. 

The Trivium at Home

Here are a few ways to introduce Trivium-based practices at home:

1. Read fiction or history aloud to students and challenge them to narrate back in as much detail what was read. 

2. Read poetry to children daily. Let them learn language from the masters.

3. Ask how this week’s sermon related to either last week’s sermon or to the text it was preached from. 

4. Recite catechism questions and ask how that answer relates to other passages of Scripture.

5. Ask children to stand and summarize the last sermon they heard.

6. Invite children to read a passage of Scripture, summarize it, and then apply it to their own lives.