Reading

4 Easy Ways To Effectively Read Philosophy

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Reading philosophy may be one of the most challenging activities because the subject matter is often so dense, technical, and abstract. Fear not, I have several different ways that I read philosophy books that may help you. It’s good to know the upside and downside of each way so you can choose the one that fits your personality and the style of the book.

1. Passage/Chapter reading

If the book is pretty dense and technical, I read one chapter at a time. I might even read each part several times over and take some notes. It’s important to take time to understand each part and what idea it’s trying to convey. It pays off to take time in between chapters to digest the info and think about it. Otherwise, you may keep speeding on and get lost.

I will read Foucault, Kant, and most Ancient/Medieval philosophy this way because the theory is technical and builds on itself so I don't want to rush it.

Downside: It will take a long time to read a book this way.

2. Cover to Cover

If I am loving the book and it’s not incredibly dense, I will often just keep reading until I get tired or it’s done. This helps read the book faster but also…