Common Logical Fallacies Explained in Latin
When we talk about bad arguments, manipulation, or faulty reasoning, Latin appears just as often—though usually in a more confrontational way. Terms like ad hominem, post hoc, or non sequitur
Learning Latin today is not an antiquarian exercise. The Latin language remains essential for understanding the foundations of Western civilization, engaging directly with historical sources, and participating in a two-thousand-year intellectual and religious tradition. Latin I: First Steps, our self-paced online course, was designed precisely with this broader purpose in mind: to offer absolute beginners a clear, structured, and meaningful entry into the Latin language.
Latin was the language of Ancient Rome, the medium of education and scholarship in the Middle Ages, and the literary language of the Renaissance. Studying Latin allows learners to follow this continuity across time and to understand how Western culture, law, philosophy, and religion developed. This course introduces Latin not as a puzzle of abstract rules, but as a language that was read, written, and understood across centuries.
A central goal of Latin I: First Steps is to help students move beyond total dependence on translations. While translations are useful, they always involve interpretation. Learning to read Latin directly allows students to engage more closely with texts and ideas, developing accuracy, confidence, and independence. From the very beginning, learners encounter continuous Latin in context, building comprehension step by step.
The course follows the natural, reading-based method developed by Hans Ørberg and uses Lingua Latina per se illustrata: Familia Romana as its core reading text. Grammar and vocabulary are absorbed through repetition and context rather than memorization alone. To reinforce this process, students are encouraged to work alongside Exercitia Latina and to consult the Companion to Familia Romana for deeper grammatical clarification.
Latin I: First Steps is fully self-paced and includes concise video lessons, interactive quizzes, cheatsheets, summaries, and visual explanations that make complex concepts approachable. It is suitable for absolute beginners, returning learners, homeschoolers, and students of history, theology, philosophy, or medieval studies.
For those who wish to continue beyond the basics, this course prepares students for Latin II: Foundations, where reading skills are expanded and more complex Latin texts are introduced. Together, these courses provide a coherent path from first contact with Latin to confident reading—allowing learners to understand why Latin mattered, how it works, and why it still matters today.
When we talk about bad arguments, manipulation, or faulty reasoning, Latin appears just as often—though usually in a more confrontational way. Terms like ad hominem, post hoc, or non sequitur
When we talk about logic and argumentation, we often use Latin without noticing. Expressions like ergō, ā priori, or prima facie appear in philosophy, law, academic writing, and even everyday