7 Ways of Reading Philosophy: #4 Reading Out Loud
When the going gets tough, it‘s good to read philosophy out loud.
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This is the fourth in a seven-part series on how to read philosophy. Read the earlier pieces on reading Napoleonically, reading haphazardly, and reading self-interestedly.
The Silent Reader
There’s a story that Saint Augustine (354–430 CE) tells about his meeting with Ambrose, the bishop of Milan. When Augustine turned up in Milan, it was in search of a teacher of rhetoric. And Ambrose was considered one of the best.
At the time, Augustine’s philosophical and religious commitments were to the doctrines of Manichaeanism. He was unimpressed by Ambrose’s Catholic teachings, even while he was impressed by his new mentor’s kindness and rhetorical skill. And at first, he managed to keep the two apart: the medium and the message, the teachings of Ambrose, and his skill in delivering them.
But as time went on, the lines between the two became blurred. The more Augustine enjoyed Ambrose’s rhetoric, the more the content of what Ambrose was saying entered into his mind. Before long, Augustine had gone through an existential and philosophical transformation. Rhetoric, the power of the spoken voice, can do that to you…
