system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Tips for Reading Foucault

So, I've just begun reading through Foucault's "The History of Sexuality" (about 50 pages so far). Up till now I have, for the most part, "ignored" some of the stranger meanings carried by his language and word choices, and just tried to focus on getting the "gist" of what I felt he was trying to say in a passage/chapter, however, I am becoming increasingly unsure whether I am reading "properly". I am wondering whether anyone might be able to give me an idea of how seriously I should be taking some of his stranger descriptions throughout the book? 


An example of such a passage:

"...all this made the family, even when brought down to its smallest dimensions, a complicated network, saturated with multiple, fragmentary, and mobile sexualities."

Looking at this passage, I can get a sense (I think...) of the point Foucault is trying to make. But how specific are words choices such as "fragmentary" and "mobile" here? Are they merely meant to illicit certain notions within the reader, or do they have a more precise purpose?
gpt
As a general practice, it never hurts to read philosophical texts once to get the gist, or at least an impression. But then it's good to read it again to try focus on details, structure, argumentation. Maybe just bank on reading it twice?

As for peculiar words and phrases--it's good you're noting them. Often asking yourself what about these is unclear or attention-worthy can lead to insightful readings of the texts. 

The bottom line is to read more than once and to notice when you're noticing.