Once you have figured out what the author is saying in the text (explication) and have unveiled the deeper meaning of the text (elucidation), you are then ready for the most important part of reading—entering into a critical dialogue with the author (evaluation). If we never step back from a text that we are reading and ask whether the author’s perspective is right or wrong, then we are really not reading in an active way. In this case, we are just taking for granted that what the author says is true, when, in fact, this could be far from the case.
There are two steps that you will have to take as you attempt to evaluate a philosophical text:
1. Assessing the Strength of the Author’s Arguments:
A philosophical work will be made up of many interdependent arguments that are used by an author to advance his thesis. Some of these arguments will be stronger than others, and it is your job as a reader to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the various arguments that an author presents to you.
A strong (or sound) argument is one in which (1) the premises of that argument are true and (2) the conclusion follows automatically from its premises. Take the following argument as an example:
Murder is the unjustified taking of an innocent human life. (premise 1)
Abortion is the unjustified taking of an innocent human life. (premise 2)
Therefore, abortion is murder. (conclusion)
If it is in fact true that murder is the unjustified taking of a human life, and if it is also true that abortion is the unjustified taking of a human life, then it is quite logical to argue that abortion is indeed murder. We could then claim that the argument is a strong (sound) one since its premises are true and its conclusion follows automatically from its premises.
But we could also challenge the truth of premise two, thus calling into question the strength (soundness) of the argument. For one thing, we could argue that unlike murder abortion is justified, since a woman has the right to determine what she wants to do with her own body, and the fetus is part of her body. We could also argue against the truthfulness of premise two that the fetus may be a life, but it is not a human life.
So you see, there are basically two different ways that you could challenge the strength or soundness of a argument: either by attacking the truthfulness of one of its premises or by arguing that the conclusion does follow automatically from its premises.
2. Judging Whether the Author’s Position is Tenable:
An author’s position is tenable if his thesis is backed up by a number of strong (sound) arguments. In other words, do the author’s arguments actually offer a justification for his thesis or do they not? If they do, then you will probably feel compelled to agree with the author’s position. If they don’t, you are probably going to want to reject it.
Remember most philosophers will offer a number of interrelated arguments to defend their theses. Some of these arguments will be better (more sound) than others. What you need to determine is whether the author provides enough sound arguments in support of his thesis to make his position a tenable one.
Whether you agree or disagree with the author’s position, it is essential to explain why you agree or disagree with it. Specify which of his arguments you find persuasive or unpersuasive and why.
EXERCISE
4: Putting It All Together
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© 2000, Michael S. Russo. For more information contact: mrusso@molloy.edu