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{{Short description|The first three liberal arts of classical Greek and Medieval scholastic education}}
{{Two other uses|the educational syllabus|the band|Trivium (band)}} {{about|the educational syllabus}}
{{distinguish|trivia}}
]
] on the left teaches Latin grammar to his students on the right. Relief by ]. Florence, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.]]


The '''Trivium''' is a systematic method of ] used to derive factual certainty from information perceived with the ]: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. In the ], the '''trivium''' was the lower division of the seven liberal arts, and comprised ], ], and ] (input, process and output).<ref name="english-ety">{{cite book |title=The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology |editor=C.T. Onions |year=1991 |page=944}}</ref> The '''trivium''' is the lower division of the ] and comprises ], ], and ].<ref name="english-ety">{{cite book |title=The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology |editor=Onions, C. T. |year=1991 |page=944}}</ref>


⚫ The trivium is implicit in {{lang|la|De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii}} ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by ], but the term was not used until the ], when it was coined in imitation of the earlier ].<ref>Marrou, Henri-Irénée (1969). "Les arts libéraux dans l'Antiquité classique". pp. 6–27 in ''Arts libéraux et philosophie au Moyen Âge''. Paris: Vrin; Montréal: Institut d'études médiévales). pp. 18–19.</ref> Grammar, logic, and rhetoric were essential to a classical education, as explained in ]'s dialogues. The three subjects together were denoted by the word ''trivium'' during the ], but the tradition of first learning those three subjects was established in ], by rhetoricians such as ].<ref>{{cite book | author=Stahl, W. H. | date=6 November 1978 | title=] | publisher=Praeger | isbn=978-0-313-20473-9}}</ref>{{rp|12–23}} Contemporary iterations have taken various forms, including those found in certain British and American universities (some being part of the ]) and at the independent ] in the ].<ref>See Martin Robinson, . Each of these iterations was discussed in a conference at King's College London on the future of the liberal arts at schools and universities; see {{Cite web | url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/liberal/conference.aspx | title=The Future of Liberal Arts | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525204125/http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/liberal/conference.aspx| archive-date=2016-05-25}} and ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815195502/http://www.boarding.org.uk/media/news/article/2352/Oundle-School-Improving-Intellectual-Challenge|date=2020-08-15}}).</ref>
⚫ Etymologically, the Latin word '''trivium''' means "the place where three roads meet" (tri + via); hence, the subjects of the trivium are the foundation for the ], the upper division of the ] education in the ], which comprised ] (number), ] (number in space), ] (number in time), and ] (number in space and time). Educationally, the trivium and the quadrivium imparted to the student the seven liberal arts of ].<ref name="english-ety" />


==Etymology==
⚫ The trivium is implicit in the ''De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii'' ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury"), by ], although the term was not used until the ], when the term was coined, in imitation of the earlier ].<ref>Henri-Irénée Marrou, "Les arts libéraux dans l'Antiquité classique", pp. 6–27 in ''Arts libéraux et philosophie au Moyen Âge'', (Paris: Vrin / Montréal: Institut d'études médiévales), 1969, pp. 18–9.</ref> Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric were essential to a Classical education, as explained in ]'s dialogues. Together, the three subjects were included to and denoted by the word "trivium" during the ], but the tradition of first learning those three subjects was established in ]. Contemporary iterations have taken various forms, including those found in certain British and American universities (some being part of the ]) and at the independent ], in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boarding.org.uk/media/news/article/2352/Oundle-School-Improving-Intellectual-Challenge |title=Oundle School - Improving Intellectual Challenge |date=27 October 2014 |website=The Boarding Schools' Association}}<br />Each of these iterations have recently been discussed in a conference at ] on "" at schools and universities.</ref>
⚫ Etymologically, the Latin word {{lang|la|trivium}} means "the place where three roads meet" ({{lang|la|tri}} + {{lang|la|via}}); hence, the subjects of the trivium are the foundation for the ], the upper (or "further") division of the ] education in the ], which consists of ] (numbers as abstract concepts), ] (numbers in space), ] (numbers in time), and ] (numbers in space and time). Educationally, the trivium and the quadrivium imparted to the student the seven liberal arts of ].<ref name="english-ety" />


==Description== == Description ==
''']''' teaches the mechanics of language to the student. This is the step where the student "comes to terms", i.e. defining the objects and information perceived by the five senses. Hence, the ]: ''a tree is a tree, and not a cat''. ] teaches the mechanics of language to the student. This is the step where the student "comes to terms", defining the objects and information perceived by the five senses. Hence, the ]: ''a tree is a tree, and not a cat''.


''']''' (also ]) is the "mechanics" of ] and of ]; the process of identifying ] and statements, and so systematically removing contradictions, thereby producing factual knowledge that can be trusted. ] (also ]) is the "mechanics" of ] and of ], the process of composing sound arguments and identifying ] and statements, and so systematically removing contradictions, thereby producing factual knowledge that can be trusted. Its aim is to calculate what is certainly true or false.


{{Rhetoric}}
''']''' is the application of language in order to instruct and to persuade the listener and the reader. It is the knowledge (grammar) now understood (logic) being transmitted outwards, as wisdom (rhetoric). ] is the application of language in order to instruct and to persuade the listener and the reader. It is the knowledge (grammar) now understood (logic) and being transmitted outwards as wisdom (rhetoric). Its aim is to identify what is most probably true or false where logical certainty is not possible.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nauert |first1=Charles |title=Desiderius Erasmus |url=https://plato.stanford.edu/archIves/spr2010/entries/erasmus/#RheSke |website=plato.stanford.edu |language=en}}</ref>


] defined rhetoric as "the power of perceiving in every thing that which is capable of producing persuasion".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Thomas |title=The Rhetoric, Poetic and Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle |publisher=Robert Wilks |year=1811 |location=London |pages=6}}</ref>
In ''The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric'' (2002), ] thus described the Trivium:


], in ''The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric'' (2002), described the trivium as follows:<ref>{{cite book |last=Joseph |first=Sister Miriam |title=The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric |publisher=Paul Dry Books |year=2002 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lg0a-RJcn4gC&pg=PA3 |pages=3, 9 |chapter=1.&nbsp;The Liberal Arts |isbn=9781589882737 }}</ref>
⚫ <blockquote>Grammar is the art of inventing symbols and combining them to express thought; logic is the art of thinking; and rhetoric is the art of communicating thought from one mind to another; the adaptation of language to circumstance.
<blockquote>
⚫ Grammar is the art of inventing symbols and combining them to express thought; logic is the art of thinking; and rhetoric is the art of communicating thought from one mind to another, the adaptation of language to circumstance.


'''. . .''' ...


Grammar is concerned with the thing as-it-is-symbolized. Logic is concerned with the thing as-it-is-known. Rhetoric is concerned with the thing as-it-is-communicated.<ref>{{cite book |last=Joseph |first=Sister Miriam |title=The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric |publisher=Paul Dry Books, Inc. |year=2002 |url=https://books.google.com/?id=lg0a-RJcn4gC&pg=PA3 |pages=3 and 9 |chapter='''1''' The Liberal Arts}}</ref></blockquote> Grammar is concerned with the thing as-it-is-symbolized. Logic is concerned with the thing as-it-is-known. Rhetoric is concerned with the thing as-it-is-communicated.
</blockquote>


In the ''Dictionary of Word Origins'' (1990), John Ayto said that study of the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) was requisite preparation for study of the ] (], ], ], and ]). For the medieval student, the trivium was the curricular beginning of the acquisition of the seven ]; as such, it was the principal undergraduate course of study. From that contrast, between the simpler trivium and the difficult ], arose the word '']''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ayto |first=John |title=Dictionary of Word Origins |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=1990 |page=542 |isbn=1-55970-214-1}}</ref> John Ayto wrote in the ''Dictionary of Word Origins'' (1990) that study of the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) was requisite preparation for study of the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy). For the medieval student, the trivium was the curricular beginning of the acquisition of the seven ]; as such, it was the principal undergraduate course of study. The word '']'' arose from the contrast between the simpler trivium and the more difficult quadrivium.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ayto |first=John |title=Dictionary of Word Origins |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=1990 |page=542 |isbn=1-55970-214-1}}</ref>


==See also== == See also ==
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]


==References== == References ==
⚫ {{Reflist|2}}


⚫ {{Reflist}}
⚫ ==Further reading==

⚫ * ] (2006) ''The Classical Trivium: The Place of ] in the Learning of His Time'' (McLuhan's 1942 doctoral dissertation); Gingko Press ISBN 1-58423-067-3.
⚫ == Further reading ==
⚫ * Robinson, Martin. (2013) ''Trivium 21c: Preparing Young People for the Future with Lessons From the Past'' London: Independent Thinking Press. ISBN 978-178135054-6

⚫ * ], (1947) , an essay presented at Oxford University.
⚫ * ] (2006). ''The Classical Trivium: The Place of ] in the Learning of His Time''. (McLuhan's 1942 doctoral dissertation.) Gingko Press. {{ISBN|1-58423-067-3}}.
⚫ * Winterer, Caroline. (2002) ''The Culture of Classicism: Ancient Greece and Rome in American Intellectual Life, 1780–1910'' Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
* Michell, John, Rachel Holley, Earl Fontainelle, Adina Arvatu, Andrew Aberdein, Octavia Wynne, and Gregory Beabout. ''Trivium: The Classical Liberal Arts of Grammar, Logic, & Rhetoric''. New York: Bloomsbury, 2016. Print. Wooden Books.
⚫ * Robinson, Martin (2013). ''Trivium 21c: Preparing Young People for the Future with Lessons from the Past''. London: Independent Thinking Press. {{ISBN|978-178135054-6}}.
⚫ * ] (1947). ''''. Essay presented at Oxford University.
⚫ * Winterer, Caroline (2002). ''The Culture of Classicism: Ancient Greece and Rome in American Intellectual Life, 1780–1910''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

{{Humanities}}
{{Classical education|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trivium (Education)}}
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Latest revision as of 13:18, 22 December 2024

The first three liberal arts of classical Greek and Medieval scholastic education This article is about the educational syllabus. For other uses, see Trivium (disambiguation). Not to be confused with trivia.
Allegory of Grammar and Logic/Dialectic. Perugia, Fontana Maggiore.
Allegory of Grammar. Priscian on the left teaches Latin grammar to his students on the right. Relief by Luca della Robbia. Florence, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.

The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric.

The trivium is implicit in De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but the term was not used until the Carolingian Renaissance, when it was coined in imitation of the earlier quadrivium. Grammar, logic, and rhetoric were essential to a classical education, as explained in Plato's dialogues. The three subjects together were denoted by the word trivium during the Middle Ages, but the tradition of first learning those three subjects was established in ancient Greece, by rhetoricians such as Isocrates. Contemporary iterations have taken various forms, including those found in certain British and American universities (some being part of the Classical education movement) and at the independent Oundle School in the United Kingdom.

Etymology

Etymologically, the Latin word trivium means "the place where three roads meet" (tri + via); hence, the subjects of the trivium are the foundation for the quadrivium, the upper (or "further") division of the medieval education in the liberal arts, which consists of arithmetic (numbers as abstract concepts), geometry (numbers in space), music (numbers in time), and astronomy (numbers in space and time). Educationally, the trivium and the quadrivium imparted to the student the seven liberal arts of classical antiquity.

Description

Grammar teaches the mechanics of language to the student. This is the step where the student "comes to terms", defining the objects and information perceived by the five senses. Hence, the law of identity: a tree is a tree, and not a cat.

Logic (also dialectic) is the "mechanics" of thought and of analysis, the process of composing sound arguments and identifying fallacious arguments and statements, and so systematically removing contradictions, thereby producing factual knowledge that can be trusted. Its aim is to calculate what is certainly true or false.

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Rhetoric is the application of language in order to instruct and to persuade the listener and the reader. It is the knowledge (grammar) now understood (logic) and being transmitted outwards as wisdom (rhetoric). Its aim is to identify what is most probably true or false where logical certainty is not possible.

Aristotle defined rhetoric as "the power of perceiving in every thing that which is capable of producing persuasion".

Sister Miriam Joseph, in The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric (2002), described the trivium as follows:

Grammar is the art of inventing symbols and combining them to express thought; logic is the art of thinking; and rhetoric is the art of communicating thought from one mind to another, the adaptation of language to circumstance.

...

Grammar is concerned with the thing as-it-is-symbolized. Logic is concerned with the thing as-it-is-known. Rhetoric is concerned with the thing as-it-is-communicated.

John Ayto wrote in the Dictionary of Word Origins (1990) that study of the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) was requisite preparation for study of the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy). For the medieval student, the trivium was the curricular beginning of the acquisition of the seven liberal arts; as such, it was the principal undergraduate course of study. The word trivial arose from the contrast between the simpler trivium and the more difficult quadrivium.

See also

References

  1. ^ Onions, C. T., ed. (1991). The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. p. 944.
  2. Marrou, Henri-Irénée (1969). "Les arts libéraux dans l'Antiquité classique". pp. 6–27 in Arts libéraux et philosophie au Moyen Âge. Paris: Vrin; Montréal: Institut d'études médiévales). pp. 18–19.
  3. Stahl, W. H. (6 November 1978). Roman Science: Origins, Development, and Influence to the Later Middle Ages. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-20473-9.
  4. See Martin Robinson, Trivium 21st century. Each of these iterations was discussed in a conference at King's College London on the future of the liberal arts at schools and universities; see "The Future of Liberal Arts". Archived from the original on 2016-05-25. and Boarding Schools Oundle School – improving intellectual challenge (Archived 2020-08-15 at the Wayback Machine).
  5. Nauert, Charles. "Desiderius Erasmus". plato.stanford.edu.
  6. Taylor, Thomas (1811). The Rhetoric, Poetic and Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle. London: Robert Wilks. p. 6.
  7. Joseph, Sister Miriam (2002). "1. The Liberal Arts". The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric. Paul Dry Books. pp. 3, 9. ISBN 9781589882737.
  8. Ayto, John (1990). Dictionary of Word Origins. University of Texas Press. p. 542. ISBN 1-55970-214-1.

Further reading

  • McLuhan, Marshall (2006). The Classical Trivium: The Place of Thomas Nashe in the Learning of His Time. (McLuhan's 1942 doctoral dissertation.) Gingko Press. ISBN 1-58423-067-3.
  • Michell, John, Rachel Holley, Earl Fontainelle, Adina Arvatu, Andrew Aberdein, Octavia Wynne, and Gregory Beabout. Trivium: The Classical Liberal Arts of Grammar, Logic, & Rhetoric. New York: Bloomsbury, 2016. Print. Wooden Books.
  • Robinson, Martin (2013). Trivium 21c: Preparing Young People for the Future with Lessons from the Past. London: Independent Thinking Press. ISBN 978-178135054-6.
  • Sayers, Dorothy L. (1947). The Lost Tools of Learning. Essay presented at Oxford University.
  • Winterer, Caroline (2002). The Culture of Classicism: Ancient Greece and Rome in American Intellectual Life, 1780–1910. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
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