In doing philosophy we need to be aware of the awkwardness of thinking in terms of having a method, still more any kind of "methodology". Instead we might consider the different ways in which philosophy has been conceived in terms of contrasts: for example between the written and the spoken word, between exposition and dialogue, and between--in Richard Rorty's terms--systematic and edifying philosophy. This article offers no easy answer to how to proceed, suggesting rather that those who attempt philosophy need to be alert to the possibilities and dangers that lie on either side. This is not just any kind of alertness, but a matter of close reading rather than skimming, of carefully attending--listening--to those with whom we engage, whether they are people or texts.