Field Note #148. On "Analytical Reading"

Source: Source: Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren, How To Read a Book (1940)

The Context.

In light of Field Notes 69 and 130, a deteriorating skill (or one that was never fully developed) is the art of reading.

An "epistemic epidemic" is evident as attention spans dwindle, and there's a growing "epistemic arrogance" (see Field Note 95) marked by the pressure to act with an unwarranted certainty that certainly (😉) conceals a fragile and debased comprehension.

All this compels me to revisit Adler & Van Doren's 1940 masterpiece.

I must acknowledge that I am not exempt from this critique.

So, let's acknowledge the brittleness of convictions and fortify our defenses.

The Map.

Starting from Inspectional Reading (as discussed in Field Note #130) and advancing toward Syntopical Reading, let's pause here at the Analytical Reading map.