To follow someone’s line of thought is a form of mimesis. It is how one learns to think new kinds of thought.

But we want summaries. Conclusions. Bottom lines.

In this way we fortify our intellectual horizons.

*

We read philosophical works to figure out what the philosopher really believed. We agree or disagree with those beliefs.

Or worse, we read surveys: books that sketch out the conclusions philosophers drew from their thinking. We agree or disagree with those conclusions.

But philosophy uses thoughts to show us new ways of thinking and to induct us into new ways of experiencing reality. We have to follow the thoughts, and learn how the thinking is done. Then we have to apply what we learn about thinking to have the thoughts ourselves. If we read for the sake of reaching the conclusions we fail to experience philosophy.

To learn the beliefs of a philosopher is like eating peanut shells.