Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. The Child’s World and Image
3. Wampanoag Education and Oral Tradition
4. New England Primer
5. Indian Primer
6. Catechism
7. Logick Primer
8. Corporal Punishment
9. Children’s Conversion Narratives
10. The Schoolhouse
11. Harvard Indian College
12. Wheelock’s Indian School

Logick Primer

The purpose of the Logick Primer, according to Eliot, was to teach the Algonquians to be teachers (Wilberforce Eames' Introduction to The Logic Primer 8-9).  Although Algonquians had clearly been teaching themselves things for generations according to their own methods, Eliot sought “to teach them some of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the way how to analyze, and lay out into particulars bothe the Works and Word of God; and how to communication knowledge to others methodically and skillfully, especially the method of Divinity” (Eliot, Brief Narrative 5 quoted in Eames 9).  For Eliot, like most New England Puritans, God and his manifestations were completely rational.  Thus they believed that the only way to understand God was to learn his logic.  Logic “regulates the reasoning faculty and teaches the student to think straight…Its essential purpose is that of education itself: the direction and discipline of the intellect” (Morison 186). As for Plato, for Puritans rationality was a pleasure superior to that of food, drink, lust, or honor.

Logical analysis of the Bible took place twice daily at Harvard, and played a crucial role in New England theology and pedagogy (Morison 268).  The sources for this analysis were varied, but tended to be centered on the methods of Aristotle, Peter Ramus (1515-72), and William Ames (1576-1633) (Morison 187, 268-69).   These three logicians all highlight the importance of syllogisms. Syllogisms consist of three parts:

1. a general statement ("universal")
2. a particular example
3. a conclusion
   

For example

1. Whatever is rational is dialectical [general statement];
2. everyman is rational [particular example]; 
3. therefore, man is dialectical [conclusion] (Eusden 40).  

Both Ramus and Ames used Aristotle’s deductive thinking to show God and belief could be proved through a series of syllogisms. While this approach is not unique, the application of syllogistic logic to theology is one hallmark of the Protestant Reformation. 

The Logick Primer attempts to school Algonquians in the art of logic and logical Biblical Analysis along these lines.  Through his work, Eliot sought to accomplish three specific goals:

1. First part teacheth us single Notions
2. Second part teacheth us bindingly to compose Notions to make every kinde of Proposition
3. Third part teacheth us to compose Propositions, by bonds, binding words, to make a Speech. (Eames 21-22).

The ultimate goal of the Logick primer, however, is to help his readers reach the divine by training their rational thinking to be in line with divine logic.    Although one thousand copies of the Logick Primer were originally printed, only one copy survives.  Like so many other early American books, the other copies were literally read and studied to death.    

Items Related to Logick Primer in the Archive

Catechism < Previous | Next > Corporal Punishment