system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How to read philosophy?

I'm reading Descartes' Meditations right now, and I feel like I'm getting the overall picture but not many of the finer details, the exact logic of his reasoning, and in general I don't feel that I'm understanding all that I should be.

I'm not used to reading philosophy, is there a specific way of reading so that I can understand the concepts better? I'm going to reread Meditations after I finish.
gpt
It helps to try and analyze the logic of the text as you read. Most philosophical texts give arguments for or against a particular thesis. This is in fact the case of the Mediatations, where each meditation gives an argument to underpin a proposition in Descartes philosophical system. 

Try to first locate the logical conclusion of the chapter (paper, book). The rest of the text should relate to this in some way (though there will be some filler also). Then as you read keep the conclusion in mind, and ask yourself how what you are reading supports the conclusion. Try to ask yourself whether there is anything else that needs to be proven in order to make the conclusion follow, and see if you can find it later on. You may also keep notes of this process if you need to.

This active engagement with the text will provide you with a more structured understanding of the issue. You will not only read but also critique at the same time, which is supposed to boost retention rarte as well.