To read in the service of any ideology is not to read at all. The mind's dialogue with itself is not primarily a social reality. All that the Western canon can bring one is the proper use of one's own solitude.

Harold Bloom
About This Quote

Richard Rorty suggests that it is dangerous to read in service of any ideology. He says that when someone reads in service of an ideology, they are not really reading at all; they are only trying to confirm their own beliefs. Rorty believes that when someone reads in service of his or her ideology, there is little chance to understand another's point of view.

Source: The Western Canon: The Books And School Of The Ages

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