7 Ways of Reading Philosophy: #1 Reading Like Napoleon

There’s a lot to be said for reading at a gallop.

Jacques-Louis David: Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801) Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

When reading philosophy, the advice is often to read slowly and carefully, tortoise-style, making sure you understand every point before going on to the next. But in this article — the second in my ongoing series on how to read philosophy — I want to persuade you that this can sometimes be…