Chapter 10 Criticizing a Book Fairly
Reading a book is like a conversation between the author and the reader. As such, the job of the reader is to talk back to the author. Describe the responsibility of the reader. (p. 137)
A good book deserves an active reading. The reader owes the author a considered judgement. Even if the reader does not agree with the author, they should at least be able to state on what grounds they disagree with the author. Active reading does not stop with understanding what the book says, it must include the work of judging, giving critical consideration.
What is meant by the phrase ‘teachability as a virtue’ and what does this have to do with the interaction between the reader and the author of a book? (p. 138-139)
Teachability is often wrongly thought to mean passive and pliable, but in fact it is an active virtue, requiring free exercise of independent judgment. The most teachable reader is the most critical. A teachable reader responds to a book with great effort to make up their own mind on whatever matters the author has discussed.
Discuss the responsibility of being a reader, and the role of rhetoric (or rhetorical skill) on the role of the author and the reader. (p. 140)
Reading a book is seen as a communication between speaker (the author) and listener (the reader). In communication, the role of the listener is to not just be responsive, but also responsible. Responsible for following what has been said and note the intention that prompts it, but also the reader has a responsibility to take a position on what is being read. The reader is responsible for their judgement of what the author is saying.
Rhetorical skills usually attributed to the one speaking, and refers to knowing how to convince or persuade. The reciprocal rhetorical skill for reader (or listener) is knowing how to react to the one who tries to convince or persuade.
What is Rule 9, which begins this third stage of reading, and what is meant by this rule? Discuss what is meant by agreeing, disagreeing, and suspending judgment. (p. 141-142)
In the third stage of reading, the principles of rhetoric are conceived in the broadest sense. The rules that comprise this third stage can be considered a code of conduct for the reader to be an active reader and talking back – politely as well as effectively.
Rule 9 states – You must be able to say, with reasonable certainly, “I understand,” before you can say any one of the following things: “I agree,” or “I disagree,: or “I suspend judgement.” This can be stated another way – Do not begin to talk back until you have listened carefully and are sure you understand.
One thing to keep in mind is that criticizing a book does not always mean you disagree with what the author has stated. Agreeing is as much an exercise of critical judgment as disagreeing. Suspending judgment is also an act of criticism. By suspending judgment, the reader is saying that they are not convinced or persuaded one way or another.
Often readers are critical of a book but do so with little or no understanding of the book they have read. If a critic cannot restate the book’s argument in their own words, this is evidence that they don’t really understand what they have read. If the reader has done all they can and still finds they cannot understand what the author is trying to say, it is possible the book is just unintelligible. However, the presumption is usually in favor of the book being good, meaning intelligible, and so failure to understand is usually the fault of the reader.
A couple of other things to consider when criticizing a book and being sure you understand. If the reader is only reading part of a book, it is hard to claim to not understand the whole book. Additionally, if the book is part of a collection of books by the same author, it is possible that reading these additional books may be necessary to fully understand what the author is saying in the book being criticized.
Following the discussion of the reader criticizing an author’s book, the importance of Rule 10 becomes apparent. What is Rule 10, and what is meant by this rule? (p. 144-146)
Rule 10 states – When you disagree, do so reasonably, and not disputatiously or contentiously. This is especially true if you, the reader, suspect you are or could be wrong. Most people think winning an argument is the most important thing, rather than actually learning the truth. This is true in conversations between people as well as between reader and author. Some people read as an antagonist, reading only to find something they disagree with.
However, the only real way to profit from conversation is by learning something, and not merely being contentious. This does not mean the reader should not ultimately find that they disagree with the author, but rather that they should be as prepared to agree as to disagree. Meaning, the true motivation should be in finding the truth of what the author is saying, and not just waiting to disagree without understanding what the author is actually saying.
State Rule 11 and discuss the distinction between knowledge and opinion. Summarize the three maxims discussed – and stated in Rules 9 through 11 – which state the conditions of critical reading that should be met before readers “talk back” to authors. (p. 148-149)
The authors discuss the importance of giving reasons for any judgments readers make – whether in agreement or disagreement.
Rule 11 states – Respect the difference between knowledge and mere personal opinion by giving reasons for any critical judgment you make.
While some knowledge is certainly absolute, most knowledge is not absolute, but rather are opinions that can be defended by evidence. Opinions however is unsupported judgment. This is what the authors means when they use the terms mere and personal when describing opinion in Rule 11.
Readers should complete the task of understanding what the author has said in the book before rushing to criticize and passing judgement. The reader should not be disputatious or contentious, going into a book looking for an argument to disagree with. And finally, the reader should be prepared to give reasons for their disagreements so that issues are not just stated but also defined.
** Note – assume much of the content following each discussion question is a paraphrase and comes from the book How to Read a Book.
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