Can The Art of Argument be used secularly?

[funschooler5]

I'm looking at different options for logic for my 7th grader, and this looks like a neat program. I haven't found anything that would bother us in the samples, but I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something I'm missing. Any thoughts?

[funschooler5]

:lurk5: :001_smile:

[HerdingCats]

Well we're only a couple of lessons into it and I haven't seen anything to suggest it couldn't be used secularly. It has mentioned a couple of hot-button issues in the context of debate scenarios (abortion, belief in God), but it seems to me to give no indication of "rightness," only typical fallacies from both sides. I haven't gone through the whole book, these are just my first impressions. HTH.

[funschooler5]

Thanks for the reply! That helps a lot. I read a section online that talked about belief in God, and I thought they handled it well. I'm going to a homeschool curriculum fair this weekend but I don't know if anyone will have this book. I like to look through them before ordering. I'll probably just go ahead and order it after that, if I can't find it there.

[LanaTron]

My ds is nearly finished with this, and I agree with Herding Cats.

[Haiku]

I talked with Christopher Perrin at the Midwest Homeschool Convention about this. He said that while they are a Christian company, and their materials are based on a Christian worldview, they do not intend to create Christian homeschool materials. I had to ask him to clarify what "Christian worldview" meant, and while I don't remember the exact conversation, he said that it had to do with moral beliefs that may or may not be universal to people of other (or no) faith.

 

I came away with the impression that *I* would use Art of Argument, and I really try to avoid religiously based materials.

 

Tara

[Sunshine State Sue]

I could only make it through 1/2 of AoA, mostly due to the political and controversial topics. Here are a thread with more information:

 

LFC Art of Argument - who's used it?