How to Read Philosophy Ten tips for approaching philosophical texts By Andrea Borghini So you have a philosophical piece

in your hand, be it a book or an essay, and ch ances are that the title will sound fascinating and impossibly daunting at the s ame time. How do you approach it? 1. Reading for Understanding First of all, a bit of context. Bear in mind that when you are reading philosoph y what you are actually doing is trying to understand a piece of writing. This i s remarkably different from other forms of reading, like - say - going through a newspaper page to find out what the mayor said or how's the weather today. Phil osophical reading is an exercise in understanding: you should treat it as such, starting from how you organize your reading time. 2. Philosophy is About Arguing Second point of context: philosophical writing is persuasive writing. To face a philosophical piece keep in mind you are facing the opinion of an author who is trying to persuade you of the plausibility or implausibility of a position. Will you buy the author's position? This is why it's so important to understand as c learly as possible what's that about and the rhetorical strategies employed: let 's see how to do it. 3. Take Your Time Third, something to always bear in mind while you are reading: you want to under stand what's the issue, but not too fast. Philosophy does its best when taken in small pills. Don't go for quantity, but for depth. Set realistic goals. While r eading a page of a novel can take as little as thirty seconds, some pages in phi losophy are worth at least ten minutes, even at the very first approach. If you read ten pages in an hour, that's a medium to fast pace for philosophical readin g. 4. What's the Problem? Onward with a very useful trick: before actually starting reading, skim the pape r to get a sense of the main point the author is trying to make and the structur e of the piece. If it's an essay, read the first and last paragraphs in their en tirety; if you could not guess the point still, go through the text. If it's a b ook, look at the table of contents and go through the opening remarks; if necess ary, read excerpts trying to guess which ones are most salient. Of course, with experience you can get much better at this. 5. Sit Back and Enjoy the Ride Now it's time to read: sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride! Keep a pencil with y ou and mark down what seem to you the crucial passages: where the main thesis is stated; where key concepts are introduced; where key arguments or reasons are p rovided. Try also to get a sense also of the weakest points in the overall piece . That's going to help with your next task. 6. Think on Your Own To many 'philosophy' is synonymous of 'critical thinking.' While that may be an exaggeration, there is certainly something to it. Your task as a philosophy read er is not just taking stock of a piece of information, as you would do with a bi ology textbook: you are taking on a challenge and you cannot but face it right o n. So, start looking for critical but constructive comments to the text. Bear in mind that you would score many more points if you can find some constructive su ggestion affecting the overall piece than if you spot a fix to a minute detail.

At any rate, anything counts. If nothing comes to mind, it means you did not sea rch well enough: go through the text, and try be creative. This is an art, reall y. 7. ... But Don't Think on Your Feet Philosophical criticism does not typically go well with speed-thinking. Philosop hy is reflective: while it's perfectly OK to think on your feet while you are re ading, you should go through your objections at least three times before mildly committing to them and saying them aloud. What seems brilliant at first sight, m ost often than not turns out to be rubbish at a second or third take. So, rememb er: this is a game of patience: be humble, patient, and meticulous. 8. Cultivate Philosophical Empathy and Self-Criticism If a philosophical piece is making an effort in trying to persuade you of someth ing, expect to do at least twice the work to persuade the author of the contrary . To build great philosophical reading skills you ought to cultivate some philos ophical empathy and self-criticism. Writing philosophy is challenging. Be empath ic: after you come up with some possible criticism, go to your greatest length i n trying to rebut them; imagine taking the role of your opponent and try to answ er your criticisms. Be as lucid as you can: this exercise can improve your under standing of a philosophical text dramatically, showing you viewpoints that were not clear to you before. 9. Keep Re-Reading As you are sorting and fine-tuning your critical remarks, double-check the text to refresh your memory, sharpen your thoughts, and make sure you properly interp reted the author. 10. Engage in Philosophical Discussion One of the most prolific ways to sharpen one's thoughts on a philosophical piece is to discuss it with others. At first, it may be prudent to test your remarks with trusted philosophical buddies or - if you have the opportunity - with your class peers; in return, try to find out what their remarks are and see if they c an improve your understanding of the piece. Eventually, you want to be able to e xpose your philosophical ideas on a piece you read in front of an audience of un known, expert philosophers, while having some confidence that they will somehow stand their scrutiny.