HOW+TO+READ+PHILOSOPHY

=Reading Philosophy - adapted from handout by Dr. Jennifer McCrickerd=

I know that reading philosophy is difficult. I have no illusions about this. As you read more, the reading will get easier. The following tips are designed as an aid to what can be a daunting task. If at any point in the semester or with any text, you are having difficulty, please come and talk to me so we can work on it together.

Do the assigned reading. Your understanding and enjoyment of the class will be far greater if you have some idea of what is going on. Doing the reading will have the additional benefit of making it more likely that you will do well in the class.

Do not read while lying down. Philosophical texts require your undivided attention, lying down while reading will exponentially increase the likelihood that you will fall asleep while reading and not retain the material.

Do not read philosophy with the television or stereo (or anything like this) on. I know that many of you will claim that you read better while listening to music, talking on the phone, etc., but such claims are simply not supported by what we know about the human brain. Providing your brain with multiple inputs to analyze and interpret will detract from the amount of attention your brain can give to any one of the inputs. Philosophical texts need your undivided attention. Put yourself in a position where you are making the best use of the cognitive abilities you have. Eliminate other inputs. (If you need other inputs to keep yourself awake, you would probably make better use of your time sleeping. Anything you read when this tired is unlikely to be understood or retained)

Do not expect to fully understand the reading in one quick reading. I expect that by the time we discuss a reading in class you will have read it two or three times. Once to get the high points, the gist of the article. And one or two more, in depth, readings a day or two prior to discussing the reading in class. The first of these readings should be a reading in which you identify the specific approach and argument(s) the author is using. In this reading you should be getting a clear understanding of the article. And the last reading should be done after you have a good sense of the argument in this last reading go back and critically assess the crucial points in the argument and consider its wider implications. Your initial focus should be on understanding the arguments and only then moving on to evaluating the argument.

Do read slowly. The goal is to understand the material, not to be able to claim that you read every word. Reading every word is fairly easy, understanding the words is not.

Philosophers are always trying to get their readers to agree with them. Every selection we read will be intended to convince you that the author is correct. And the author will always provide reasons for you to agree.

Identify the conclusion the author wants you to reach -- this will most likely be in the introduction and/or conclusion of the essay.

Identify the reasons the author gives in support (this will be the major work of your second reading)

If you have identified the conclusion, but haven’t found the reasons, go back and look again. Some words the might indicate reasons are “because,” “since” or anything prior to the words, “therefore,” “hence,” or “thus.”

Try to separate understanding and evaluating the argument. The latter can most effectively happen only after the former has happened. (See last two tips for evaluation help)

If you are at a loss for what is going on, do pay close attention to:

Titles, subtitles, section headings, etc.. All of these indicate the direction authors are going and what they think is important in their essays.

The first and last paragraph of a section as these are places where authors are likely to summarize their points.

The first and last sentence of a paragraph as these are where authors are likely to summarize what has happened (or is going to happen) in a paragraph.

Do write down questions about the reading to ask in class (and ask them).

Philosophers frequently present the likely arguments against their argument or position and then explain why these arguments are mistaken. If you do not read carefully, it will appear as if the author is contradicting herself because she appears to be asserting an argument which challenges her position. In fact, she is being a good philosopher and acknowledging and then responding to opposing arguments.

The likelihood that any of the authors you will be reading in this class has blatantly contradicted themselves is miniscule. Any contradiction that might be there will be uncovered only after a careful and full understanding of the arguments. If you spot a contradiction in an article on a cursory reading, consider the strong possibility that you have misunderstood the author and reread and analyze to make certain you are correct.

Think of yourself as a detective trying to find the truth; first and uncritical observations are rarely trustworthy.

Do indicate in margins the important points -- use keywords, symbols, etc.

Do divide the reading into sections when a new topic is introduced.

Do not use highlighters. My experience, and others appear to share this experience, is that when highlighting I tended to identify and highlight the important passages (or pages) but didn’t carefully read the passages I so conscientiously highlighted. Do not simply identify where the important elements of the essay are; read and understand them.(similar problem can happen with wanton underlining)

Another problem with highlighting (and underlining) is that you may depend too much on the highlighted (or underlined) passages. That is, when rereading, you will likely focus on that which has been highlighted or underlined and pay less attention to that which hasn’t been. It is possible, however, that what you highlighted or underlined was not the most important part of the essay.

Do take notes. Either on another sheet of paper or on the last page of a chapter or in the margins. In these notes summarize the important steps in the argument.

For example, you might write summary keywords in the margins next to important passages. Then number the keywords and match the numbered keywords to with your in-depth summaries of the same passages in your reading journal.

Do briefly outline the argument in your own words (on another sheet of paper, the last page of the article, etc.).

Do keep in mind that the essay you are reading is part of an ongoing discussion. The author is presenting a argument in response to other things going on in the field. If you can start to see the connections (particular based on time period), this will greatly enhance your understanding.

Do remember that “classic” texts were written in a different time period and, often, in another language. So, you are not likely to be reading a text that was written in contemporary English. This explains why the reading is difficult; it is not an excuse for not understanding it.

Do not disregard elements of an essay because you do not understand its relevance to the author’s point. Philosophers look at questions and present arguments in extreme (painstaking and mind-numbing) detail. Often, an author will spend an extraordinary amount of time discussing a distinction or point a non-philosopher wouldn’t care about or think important. The author is discussing it, however, because it likely is important.

Your responsibility is to determine why it is important. Philosophers do not typically include material to throw their readers off track -- this is typically a tactic used by mystery writers.

When evaluating an argument, determine whether the reasons provided are good reasons for believing the conclusion the author thinks you ought to believe. Things to consider are: (1) are the reasons provided true? (2) Even if the reasons are true, do they provide compelling support for the conclusion?

Do not reject an author’s argument or position because you simply disagree with the conclusion. You must evaluate the argument and find a flaw in the argument.