They are taught in schools, just not in quite the same form. The trivium in classical education was three subjects – grammar, logic, and rhetoric. These three would be the foundation for the more difficult quadrivium – arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. Put these seven subjects together and you get the original seven liberal arts – a broad range of knowledge that isn’t specifically tailored to one trade or career.
We do still teach all of these, but we shake them up a bit. The foundations of grammar and rhetoric are taught to very young children, but formal logic has mostly been replaced by basic arithmetic, which uses logical principles in a practical way. And while music is an important art that a lot of people learn the basics of, astronomy has become a much more specialized field that not every student studies, beyond the basics.
Latest Answers