Reading Philosophy

We require you to conduct close readings of important, primary source texts on ethics and morality. We call them primary sources because they’re written by major philosophers of the Western tradition. The point is to put you in direct contact with these thinkers so that you form your own experience.

Since, for many of you, this will be your first experience with philosophical writing, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Struggle but don’t fight – the readings are the content of the course; not my lectures. If you don’t read, you won’t learn. Nor will you learn if you rely on the opinions of other people, even if they happen to be correct. We want you to develop intellectual independence; not be daunted by new subjects or by authors who are smarter than you.

2. Slow down but don’t stop – give yourself enough time to get through each reading at least once. Engage the reading on a personal level. If you’re having trouble in a spot, take a note and bring it up in class, but don’t let it bog you down and don’t stop.

3. Be generous but don’t roll over – philosophical works are acts of persuasion. There’s an argument being made and most of the time it’s explicit and logical. That doesn’t mean you have to agree. In fact, if you’re actively reading, there should be several points where you disagree with the text. That’s good. Make notes.

The best analogy I can make here is with food: we’ve all had really amazing meals. Those are the primary sources. Secondary sources are like the frozen stuff; some of it may be nutritional, but it’s always better to get or make your meals fresh, even though it takes a little longer.