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The Metalogicon: A Twelfth-Century Defense of the Verbal and Logical Arts of the Trivium
Written in 1159 and addressed to Thomas Becket, John of Salisbury's The Metalogicon presents—and defends—a thorough study of the liberal arts of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The very name "Metalogicon," a coinage by the author, brings together the Greek meta (on behalf of) and logicon (logic or logical studies). Thus, in naming his text, he also explained it. With this lucid treatise on education, John of Salisbury urges a thorough grounding in the arts of words (oral and written) and reasoning, as these topics are addressed in grammar and logic.
The Metalogicon (Contents in brief)
Prologue — Occasion, Purpose, and General Nature of the Work
Book I — The Trivium and Grammar
Book II — Logic Proper: General Observations
Book III — Logic: Contents (Porphyry and Aristotle)
Book IV — Logic: Contents and Truth
The study of grammar in John of Salisbury's time included familiarization with the ancient Latin classics, and involved not only a reading of them but also an analysis and imitation of their style. It thus anticipated the humanism of the Renaissance. The study of logic, as it was then pursued, comprised learning and putting into practice the principles of Aristotle's Organon.
In The Metalogicon, a leading medieval scholar summarizes the essential lineaments of existing twelfth-century education, describes his experiences while a student at Chartres and Paris, and affords personal glimpses of such contemporary intellectual leaders as Peter Abelard, Gilbert de la Porrée, and Thierry of Chartres.
Written more than 950 years ago, The Metalogicon still possesses an invigorating originality that invites readers to refresh themselves at the sources of Western learning.
"Grammar is accordingly first among the liberal arts. Necessary for the young, gratifying to the old, and an agreeable solace in solitude, it alone, of all branches of learning, has more utility than show." — Quintilian, quoted by John of Salisbury in The Metalogicon
John of Salisbury (ca. 1115–1176) studied with almost all the great masters of the early twelfth century, served as an aid to Thomas à Becket, was friend to Pope Hadrian IV, an annoyance if not an enemy to England's King Henry II, and died as Bishop of Chartres.
Daniel D. McGarry was a professor of history at Saint Louis University. He died in 1999. His translation of The Metalogicon was the first to appear in any modern language.
The Metalogicon (Contents in brief)
Prologue — Occasion, Purpose, and General Nature of the Work
Book I — The Trivium and Grammar
Book II — Logic Proper: General Observations
Book III — Logic: Contents (Porphyry and Aristotle)
Book IV — Logic: Contents and Truth
The study of grammar in John of Salisbury's time included familiarization with the ancient Latin classics, and involved not only a reading of them but also an analysis and imitation of their style. It thus anticipated the humanism of the Renaissance. The study of logic, as it was then pursued, comprised learning and putting into practice the principles of Aristotle's Organon.
In The Metalogicon, a leading medieval scholar summarizes the essential lineaments of existing twelfth-century education, describes his experiences while a student at Chartres and Paris, and affords personal glimpses of such contemporary intellectual leaders as Peter Abelard, Gilbert de la Porrée, and Thierry of Chartres.
Written more than 950 years ago, The Metalogicon still possesses an invigorating originality that invites readers to refresh themselves at the sources of Western learning.
"Grammar is accordingly first among the liberal arts. Necessary for the young, gratifying to the old, and an agreeable solace in solitude, it alone, of all branches of learning, has more utility than show." — Quintilian, quoted by John of Salisbury in The Metalogicon
John of Salisbury (ca. 1115–1176) studied with almost all the great masters of the early twelfth century, served as an aid to Thomas à Becket, was friend to Pope Hadrian IV, an annoyance if not an enemy to England's King Henry II, and died as Bishop of Chartres.
Daniel D. McGarry was a professor of history at Saint Louis University. He died in 1999. His translation of The Metalogicon was the first to appear in any modern language.
305 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1159
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 22, 2013
So, John is a bit sprawling. The foundational ideas camping out amidst all the bits and pieces are important, though. This is an early critique of Scholasticism, just at the point that Scholasticism is getting ready to take off and become the method of learning for a few centuries. John calls for a balanced approach to education that does not adopt the sophistry of logic to the exclusion of grammar and rhetoric. He acknowledges what scholastic methods can accomplish, but points out how that isn't enough. In addition, he is extraordinarily forthright in considering the place for both the ancients and his contemporaries in the educational curriculum. Ultimately, John of Salisbury is concerned that education must never be divorced from morality. It was an important cry that the Scholastics did not entirely heed in the twelfth century. It is an important cry for us today.
March 19, 2013
Oh my goodness. There are gifts and there are Gifts. This is a Gift. If you want to explore the inner life of the liberal arts and see how important the disciplines of grammar, logic, and rhetoric are read this book. If you want a summary and or introduction to Aristotle's Organon, read this book. If you want to be relieved of some of the ancillary burdens of trying to get caught up on a classical education, read this book.
Spoiler alert:
If you want to read a novel, read something else.
Spoiler alert:
If you want to read a novel, read something else.
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April 1, 2021Review here. Excerpts appear in Gamble's The Great Tradition.
October 17, 2025
Certain parts are really in the weeds, but John's defense of the Trivium is one of the best out there, the absence of rhetoric notwithstanding. Here's a great MA thesis on the work: https://udallas-ir.tdl.org/items/c5ae...
June 12, 2025
A wonderful book with insights on classical education
April 24, 2016
This book is partly John's response to an attack on the liberal arts that was gaining steam in his own day, partly an exposition and commentary on the Organon, and partly a somewhat assorted compendium of his thoughts on philosophical and theological topics. In each respect this book is very helpful, humane, and eloquent. John's characteristic moderation and humility, his suspicion of grand intellectual systems, and ebullient love for the concrete details of life and literature all seem to make him a kind of precursor to the Renaissance, even though he died in the 12th century.
October 6, 2016
This is a fascinating book from the 1100s that stands as a defense for liberal education and is considered an important work in the field of educational theory. I loved books 1 and 4; books 2 & 3 are very detailed discussions of logic and grammar, but the outside books are more theoretical and applicable to me, at least. I highlighted huge portions of the book. Salisbury is a light to the world and an exemplary example of liberal education himself. This is the only complete translation of this work from Latin.
October 31, 2014
It's hard to give stars to books I deal with in my academic work. What am I starring really? Did I enjoy reading the Metalogicon? Not terribly much. Do I think it is important in my studies of Medieval Rhetoric? Yes. Is it a seriously good find as a research topic because it is under studied? Absolutely.
February 16, 2021
John of Salisbury’s Metalogicon can be recommended for its historical prominence and pedagogical insights, but not as an introduction to logic.
The Metalogicon is important historically for two reasons, the first being its author. John of Salisbury (1115/20-1180) was one of the major figures in “the twelfth-century Renaissance.” He combined the roles of author, philosopher, diplomat and ecclesiast. John studied under some of the leading medieval thinkers of his time, including Peter Abelard, and was secretary to Theobald and Thomas Becket, both archbishops of Canterbury. These widespread connections lead to a great deal of interesting information concerning many key philosophers and educators during one of the principal flowerings of Western thought and civilization.
The second reason for the Metalogicon’s historical importance is its subject. Both John’s title Metalogicon, which means “on behalf of logic,” and the translator’s subtitle, “A Twelfth-Century Defense of the Verbal and Logical Arts of the Trivium,” make clear that John’s purpose is apologetic. At the beginning of the founding of European universities, John is writing a defense of the medieval educational system organized in the trivium, which was the study of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The trivium and university education were under attack by the Cornificius, a name invented by John of Salisbury, and the “Cornificians.” We do not know who the person was, but from John’s writing he appears to have been a leader of monastic opponents to the new learning derived from Aristotle and to the necessity for and utility of formal training in education since, if one has the native intellectual endowments, he does not need the teaching and, if he does not have these abilities, teaching him would do no good.
His apologetic for the trivium results in a permanent contribution to pedagogical theory and practice. I was pleased to discover that John’s views on education are founded upon human nature, which is the concept or reality that we continually try to get our students to base much of their thinking on. Nature has “elevated man by the privilege of reason and distinguished him by the faculty of speech” (9). Following the strain of classical thought in this area, John claims that man has an inborn love of the good and seeks happiness, which cannot be acquired without virtue, and that man is a social being. Reason and eloquence are meant to work together. “Just as eloquence, unenlightened by reason, is rash and blind, so wisdom, without the power of expression, is feeble and maimed” (10). Wisdom without eloquence may “increase one’s personal satisfaction, but it rarely and only slightly contributes to the welfare of human society” (9-10).
Thus, at the very beginning of his treatise, John has clearly stated the connection between human nature and two of the arts of the trivium, logic (reason) and rhetoric (eloquence). An additional point is that man is by nature a social being, which means that his happiness cannot “exist entirely apart from mutual association and divorced from human society” (10). Indeed, the social nature of human beings is a consequence of the creative work of the Triune God who “has so arranged the parts of the universe that each requires the help of the others, and they mutually compensate for their respective deficiencies” (10).
John also strongly supports the emphasis on virtue formation in education. “I am convinced that all things read or written are useless except so far as they have a good influence on one’s manner of life” (6). I am in agreement with this so long as virtue does not become the sole aim, nor a goal that engulfs all other concerns. Related to the second point are the three things John fears: “ignorance of truth, misled or wanton statement of falsehood, and the haughty assertion of fact” (7). In teaching history and philosophy, I want to make sure that I do not remain satisfied with the little truth I know, make false statements about the views and actions of other people and ages, and never exhibit a disdain for my students.
There are several insights into pedagogical practice. While not relating the three subjects of the trivium to the stages of child development as explicitly and extensively as does Dorothy Sayers in Lost Tools of Learning, the Metalogicon recognizes that grammar, which is “the science of speaking and writing correctly,” is “the starting point of all liberal studies” (37). Teachers must not try to teach subjects for which their students are not ready.
On a very practical level there were two reminders for me as a teacher. First, he stresses the necessity of review with the witty expression, “each succeeding day became the disciple of its predecessor” (68). In my eagerness to move on in my subject I can forget that much of what I teach is new to the students and that without review they will not remember what they have been taught. John also cautions against an excessive workload for the students, whose innate ability is “dulled by excessive work” (36). I teach at Cair Paravel Latin School whose mission is to cultivate lifelong learners. This mission has led me to reduce student workload. Not only does an onerous amount of work dull the mind, but it also makes the subject so distasteful that students will quite possibly never want to read or think about it ever again.
John’s general comments on logic are insightful. First, logic is defined and explained as an art. In its broadest sense, logic is “the science of verbal expression and [argumentative] reason” (32). The more restricted sense is “limited to rules of [argumentative] reasoning” (32). In its broadest sense logic “includes all instruction relative to words” (32). Understood in this way it is “highly useful and necessary” (32). One can add to this that man by nature has the gift of reasoning and talking; so, instruction in logic both fulfills man’s nature as an individual and as a social being with its goal of mastering thought and expression.
Unfortunately, for this novice in logic, the third and fourth books of the Metalogicon are mostly summaries of the various treatises of Aristotle and discussions of their relative worth. To learn the actual art of logic one needs to look elsewhere.
The Metalogicon is important historically for two reasons, the first being its author. John of Salisbury (1115/20-1180) was one of the major figures in “the twelfth-century Renaissance.” He combined the roles of author, philosopher, diplomat and ecclesiast. John studied under some of the leading medieval thinkers of his time, including Peter Abelard, and was secretary to Theobald and Thomas Becket, both archbishops of Canterbury. These widespread connections lead to a great deal of interesting information concerning many key philosophers and educators during one of the principal flowerings of Western thought and civilization.
The second reason for the Metalogicon’s historical importance is its subject. Both John’s title Metalogicon, which means “on behalf of logic,” and the translator’s subtitle, “A Twelfth-Century Defense of the Verbal and Logical Arts of the Trivium,” make clear that John’s purpose is apologetic. At the beginning of the founding of European universities, John is writing a defense of the medieval educational system organized in the trivium, which was the study of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The trivium and university education were under attack by the Cornificius, a name invented by John of Salisbury, and the “Cornificians.” We do not know who the person was, but from John’s writing he appears to have been a leader of monastic opponents to the new learning derived from Aristotle and to the necessity for and utility of formal training in education since, if one has the native intellectual endowments, he does not need the teaching and, if he does not have these abilities, teaching him would do no good.
His apologetic for the trivium results in a permanent contribution to pedagogical theory and practice. I was pleased to discover that John’s views on education are founded upon human nature, which is the concept or reality that we continually try to get our students to base much of their thinking on. Nature has “elevated man by the privilege of reason and distinguished him by the faculty of speech” (9). Following the strain of classical thought in this area, John claims that man has an inborn love of the good and seeks happiness, which cannot be acquired without virtue, and that man is a social being. Reason and eloquence are meant to work together. “Just as eloquence, unenlightened by reason, is rash and blind, so wisdom, without the power of expression, is feeble and maimed” (10). Wisdom without eloquence may “increase one’s personal satisfaction, but it rarely and only slightly contributes to the welfare of human society” (9-10).
Thus, at the very beginning of his treatise, John has clearly stated the connection between human nature and two of the arts of the trivium, logic (reason) and rhetoric (eloquence). An additional point is that man is by nature a social being, which means that his happiness cannot “exist entirely apart from mutual association and divorced from human society” (10). Indeed, the social nature of human beings is a consequence of the creative work of the Triune God who “has so arranged the parts of the universe that each requires the help of the others, and they mutually compensate for their respective deficiencies” (10).
John also strongly supports the emphasis on virtue formation in education. “I am convinced that all things read or written are useless except so far as they have a good influence on one’s manner of life” (6). I am in agreement with this so long as virtue does not become the sole aim, nor a goal that engulfs all other concerns. Related to the second point are the three things John fears: “ignorance of truth, misled or wanton statement of falsehood, and the haughty assertion of fact” (7). In teaching history and philosophy, I want to make sure that I do not remain satisfied with the little truth I know, make false statements about the views and actions of other people and ages, and never exhibit a disdain for my students.
There are several insights into pedagogical practice. While not relating the three subjects of the trivium to the stages of child development as explicitly and extensively as does Dorothy Sayers in Lost Tools of Learning, the Metalogicon recognizes that grammar, which is “the science of speaking and writing correctly,” is “the starting point of all liberal studies” (37). Teachers must not try to teach subjects for which their students are not ready.
On a very practical level there were two reminders for me as a teacher. First, he stresses the necessity of review with the witty expression, “each succeeding day became the disciple of its predecessor” (68). In my eagerness to move on in my subject I can forget that much of what I teach is new to the students and that without review they will not remember what they have been taught. John also cautions against an excessive workload for the students, whose innate ability is “dulled by excessive work” (36). I teach at Cair Paravel Latin School whose mission is to cultivate lifelong learners. This mission has led me to reduce student workload. Not only does an onerous amount of work dull the mind, but it also makes the subject so distasteful that students will quite possibly never want to read or think about it ever again.
John’s general comments on logic are insightful. First, logic is defined and explained as an art. In its broadest sense, logic is “the science of verbal expression and [argumentative] reason” (32). The more restricted sense is “limited to rules of [argumentative] reasoning” (32). In its broadest sense logic “includes all instruction relative to words” (32). Understood in this way it is “highly useful and necessary” (32). One can add to this that man by nature has the gift of reasoning and talking; so, instruction in logic both fulfills man’s nature as an individual and as a social being with its goal of mastering thought and expression.
Unfortunately, for this novice in logic, the third and fourth books of the Metalogicon are mostly summaries of the various treatises of Aristotle and discussions of their relative worth. To learn the actual art of logic one needs to look elsewhere.
July 15, 2019
An absolute hidden gem. I randomly grabbed this in a used book store as I've been reading various materials on the Trivium in general. The translation in modern English is clear and quite easy to read; the copious footnotes - especially in regard to translation of various words - was most welcome.
If one wants to appreciate the importance of Aristotle, Augustine, and the Trivium; especially the interpretation of Aristotle during the Middle Ages this book is a great starting point
There is also some great wisdom in this book as well:
"A person who becomes so concerned about other people's business that he neglects his own affairs, is not only excessively curious, but also fails in his duty to himself." - p. 270
Highly recommended; especially if interested in philosophy, theology, the Trivium, or the Middle Ages.
If one wants to appreciate the importance of Aristotle, Augustine, and the Trivium; especially the interpretation of Aristotle during the Middle Ages this book is a great starting point
There is also some great wisdom in this book as well:
"A person who becomes so concerned about other people's business that he neglects his own affairs, is not only excessively curious, but also fails in his duty to himself." - p. 270
Highly recommended; especially if interested in philosophy, theology, the Trivium, or the Middle Ages.
April 7, 2023
shut UP
August 2, 2021
It feels wrong to "rate" a classical text like this.
The beginning and the end are the most useful, but the work is what it is, and it helps contextualize the thought of the middle ages and the Christian sun thesis between the pagan philosophers and the Church Fathers. Salisbury quotes a lot from both Aristotle and Augustine. In the beginning, he does a great job encouraging his readers to study logic alongside rhetoric, arguing that without knowledge, eloquence is empty, and without virtue, it is deceitful. At the end, he does a great job discussing truth and reason and our search for them, drawing heavily on Augustine. a good defense of the Liberal arts, those studies for and to make men free.
Basically, know Aristotle, who Salisbury says is a master at logic but crap on theology and ethics, and study Augustine, who is a boss at almost everything. :-)
The beginning and the end are the most useful, but the work is what it is, and it helps contextualize the thought of the middle ages and the Christian sun thesis between the pagan philosophers and the Church Fathers. Salisbury quotes a lot from both Aristotle and Augustine. In the beginning, he does a great job encouraging his readers to study logic alongside rhetoric, arguing that without knowledge, eloquence is empty, and without virtue, it is deceitful. At the end, he does a great job discussing truth and reason and our search for them, drawing heavily on Augustine. a good defense of the Liberal arts, those studies for and to make men free.
Basically, know Aristotle, who Salisbury says is a master at logic but crap on theology and ethics, and study Augustine, who is a boss at almost everything. :-)
June 20, 2010
Probably the finest piece of educational philosophy ever written in Western civilization
May 11, 2011
Wonderful book. This is a powerful condemnation of what passes for rhetoric and logic in our day. A timely clarion call to follow the well trodden and sure paths of our ancestral betters.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews