Philosophy
Logic and reasoning
If you have a child who enjoys Latin and possibly Greek, or Classical Civilisation - or even he just loves maths - he might really enjoy studying some formal logic from around the age of 13 or 14. Some of my children have looked a logic book and run in the opposite direction; others have loved it - it all depends on the child. If you do want to study logic, these are the textbooks we've used: Traditional logic 1 and Traditional Logic 2, both from Memoria Press (you'll probably need the answer books too, unless you have the time and the brains to work it all out yourself...). If your child completes these books and wants to carry on further with the subject, try Peter Kreeft's Socratic Logic: though be warned it is not an easy read!
Introduction to Philosophy and Theology
Trying to gain a grasp of philosophical principles in general is a good idea at this stage, since these underpin the beginnings of any further study in both philosophy and theology (there are good reasons why philosophy used to be known as 'the handmaiden of theology'!).
A good (and very sound, Catholic place to start) place to start is with 'An Introduction to Philosophy: The perennial principles of the Classical realist Tradition' by Daniel J Sullivan. This dates from 1957 but has recently been reprinted and remains one of the most readable books on the subject. Following introductory chapters on the nature of philosophical enquiry and the historical rise of philosophy, it follows a sequence, as the introduction states, 'beginning with the more immediate and concrete problems about man himself and extending to problems of a more remote and abstract nature." At the back of the book you will find suggested study questions and essay topics, together with an excellent reading list which provides, amongst many other things, further reading suggestions for a wide variety of 'essentials' such as Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Ethics (and Metaphysics).
This is a good time to introduce the philosophy and theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas as his work is so fundamental to a more formal understanding of both these subjects from a Catholic perspective. In addition to the texts recommended on Sullivan's book, a beginner might start with G.K Chesterton's 'Thomas Aquinas' or 'Aquinas' by F.C.Copleston SJ. A more advanced text (though labelled for beginners) is Edward Feser's, 'Aquinas: A beginner's Guide'. At this point, plunging into the more accessible parts of the Summa Theologiae would be quite feasible for a keen student. For a bit of light relief, this would be a good time to read Louis de Wohl's beautiful novel on St Thomas, 'The Quiet Light'.
General suggestions for good, thought provoking and difficult-but-rewarding books
One of my favourite books on the subject of good books is this one: 'Another Sort of Learning' by Fr. James V. Schall. The blurb on the back quotes Peter Kreeft of 'Socratic Logic' fame. Kreeft states that Fr Schall wrote this book because "many students never learn to raise, much less answer, the great questions, and are thus uneducated in the deepest sense...(however)...great books, past and present, which wrestle deeply yet non-technically with these questions rather than passively mirroring popular culture...can fill this vacuum for anyone, in or out of school.' That's good news for those of us who missed out on all this in our own education! This is a book of book lists accompanied by thought provoking essays explaining why right thinking is so important and what happens when it is lacking. One review of the books aptly describes Fr Schall's aim as "to lead modern men and women away from the shallowness and relativism of the modern education system, where the prescribed mantra is "your truth is not my truth and my truth is not your truth".
It would be impossible to list here all the books which would be useful and informative/formative for anyone interested in asking (and better still answering) those 'great questions' - the 'what is' to which Schall constantly refers - but here is a very small taster to get the reader started:
A Guide for the perplexed' by E.F.Schumacher
Orthodoxy, Heretics and What's wrong with the world? by G.K. Chesterton (available in one volume as The Wit, Whimsy and Wisdom of G.K. Chesterton)
'The Abolition of Man', which can be read online here, 'The Problem of Pain' and Till We Have Faces by C.S Lewis
Selected Essays, Survivals and New Arrivals and Europe and the Faith by Hilaire Belloc
Cosmos and Creator by Stanley L. Jaki
Theology for Beginners, Theology and Sanity and A Map of Life by Frank Sheed
The Death of Christian Culture and The Restoration of Christian Culture by John Senior
Science, Politics and Gnosticism by Eric Voeglin
Also books by authors such as Christopher Dawson, Josef Pieper, Ronald Knox, Arnold Lunn...to name but a few!
Logic and reasoning
If you have a child who enjoys Latin and possibly Greek, or Classical Civilisation - or even he just loves maths - he might really enjoy studying some formal logic from around the age of 13 or 14. Some of my children have looked a logic book and run in the opposite direction; others have loved it - it all depends on the child. If you do want to study logic, these are the textbooks we've used: Traditional logic 1 and Traditional Logic 2, both from Memoria Press (you'll probably need the answer books too, unless you have the time and the brains to work it all out yourself...). If your child completes these books and wants to carry on further with the subject, try Peter Kreeft's Socratic Logic: though be warned it is not an easy read!
Introduction to Philosophy and Theology
Trying to gain a grasp of philosophical principles in general is a good idea at this stage, since these underpin the beginnings of any further study in both philosophy and theology (there are good reasons why philosophy used to be known as 'the handmaiden of theology'!).
A good (and very sound, Catholic place to start) place to start is with 'An Introduction to Philosophy: The perennial principles of the Classical realist Tradition' by Daniel J Sullivan. This dates from 1957 but has recently been reprinted and remains one of the most readable books on the subject. Following introductory chapters on the nature of philosophical enquiry and the historical rise of philosophy, it follows a sequence, as the introduction states, 'beginning with the more immediate and concrete problems about man himself and extending to problems of a more remote and abstract nature." At the back of the book you will find suggested study questions and essay topics, together with an excellent reading list which provides, amongst many other things, further reading suggestions for a wide variety of 'essentials' such as Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Ethics (and Metaphysics).
This is a good time to introduce the philosophy and theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas as his work is so fundamental to a more formal understanding of both these subjects from a Catholic perspective. In addition to the texts recommended on Sullivan's book, a beginner might start with G.K Chesterton's 'Thomas Aquinas' or 'Aquinas' by F.C.Copleston SJ. A more advanced text (though labelled for beginners) is Edward Feser's, 'Aquinas: A beginner's Guide'. At this point, plunging into the more accessible parts of the Summa Theologiae would be quite feasible for a keen student. For a bit of light relief, this would be a good time to read Louis de Wohl's beautiful novel on St Thomas, 'The Quiet Light'.
General suggestions for good, thought provoking and difficult-but-rewarding books
One of my favourite books on the subject of good books is this one: 'Another Sort of Learning' by Fr. James V. Schall. The blurb on the back quotes Peter Kreeft of 'Socratic Logic' fame. Kreeft states that Fr Schall wrote this book because "many students never learn to raise, much less answer, the great questions, and are thus uneducated in the deepest sense...(however)...great books, past and present, which wrestle deeply yet non-technically with these questions rather than passively mirroring popular culture...can fill this vacuum for anyone, in or out of school.' That's good news for those of us who missed out on all this in our own education! This is a book of book lists accompanied by thought provoking essays explaining why right thinking is so important and what happens when it is lacking. One review of the books aptly describes Fr Schall's aim as "to lead modern men and women away from the shallowness and relativism of the modern education system, where the prescribed mantra is "your truth is not my truth and my truth is not your truth".
It would be impossible to list here all the books which would be useful and informative/formative for anyone interested in asking (and better still answering) those 'great questions' - the 'what is' to which Schall constantly refers - but here is a very small taster to get the reader started:
A Guide for the perplexed' by E.F.Schumacher
Orthodoxy, Heretics and What's wrong with the world? by G.K. Chesterton (available in one volume as The Wit, Whimsy and Wisdom of G.K. Chesterton)
'The Abolition of Man', which can be read online here, 'The Problem of Pain' and Till We Have Faces by C.S Lewis
Selected Essays, Survivals and New Arrivals and Europe and the Faith by Hilaire Belloc
Cosmos and Creator by Stanley L. Jaki
Theology for Beginners, Theology and Sanity and A Map of Life by Frank Sheed
The Death of Christian Culture and The Restoration of Christian Culture by John Senior
Science, Politics and Gnosticism by Eric Voeglin
Also books by authors such as Christopher Dawson, Josef Pieper, Ronald Knox, Arnold Lunn...to name but a few!