Why Not Teach Logic to Every University Student?

null Nov. 30, 2023 4:25 pm ET Photo: Getty ImagesNow is the time to confront and fix what has been metastasizing in higher education since the advent of speech codes in the late 1980s. Teaching the ethics and consequences of civil discourse is desperately needed for liberal education to regain respect and to foster free minds (“A Free-Speech Fix for Our Divided Campuses,” Review, Nov. 18).An even more foundational fix is also needed: Teaching how to think, not what to think. A nonpoliticized course requirement in basic logic and evidentiary reasoning would establish the foundation on which civil discourse can fruitfully take place. Freedom of speech and inquiry are essential in education and democracy, but rigor and objectivity of thought provide the intellectual tools to know what to sift and winnow, distinguishing truth from falsehood.Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8Sponsored OffersTop Resume: Top Resume Coupon: 10% Off

A person who loves writing, loves novels, and loves life.Seeking objective truth, hoping for world peace, and wishing for a world without wars.

Opinion Dec 1, 2023 Add to Reading List

Why Not Teach Logic to Every University Student?

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Nov. 30, 2023 4:25 pm ET

Photo: Getty Images

Now is the time to confront and fix what has been metastasizing in higher education since the advent of speech codes in the late 1980s. Teaching the ethics and consequences of civil discourse is desperately needed for liberal education to regain respect and to foster free minds (“A Free-Speech Fix for Our Divided Campuses,” Review, Nov. 18).

An even more foundational fix is also needed: Teaching how to think, not what to think. A nonpoliticized course requirement in basic logic and evidentiary reasoning would establish the foundation on which civil discourse can fruitfully take place. Freedom of speech and inquiry are essential in education and democracy, but rigor and objectivity of thought provide the intellectual tools to know what to sift and winnow, distinguishing truth from falsehood.