方【ほう】 or 方【かた】?


方【ほう】 or 方【かた】?

In this post [Is 方 read かた or ほう
here?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/30397/31150) I read that 方【ほう】
means "direction" and 方【かた】 means "a person/way of doing something."

What about in this sentence?

>
> だけど、血【ち】の通【かよ】った人間【にんげん】として見【み】た方【ほう】がはるかにおもしろい([source](https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASP9T3QQ7P9JPLZB01L.html?iref=comtop_Topic_03))  
>  _But seeing flesh-and-blood human beings is far more interesting._

I do not see in this sentence how 方 can mean either "direction," "person," or
"manner." If anything, wouldn't it be "a way/type of looking" and thus 方【かた】?




It's read ほう because it's part of the basic pattern of comparison, `～方が +
predicate`. It _could_ be understood as an extension of "this side/direction
(of seeing ...)", but IMO it can be just memorized as a pattern of comparison.
The act of "seeing" itself is not a person.

Also note that 血の通った人間 **として** 見る is not "to see flesh-and-blood humans" but
"to see them as flesh-and-blood humans".




It's read ほう because it's part of the basic pattern of comparison, `～方が +
predicate`. It _could_ be understood as an extension of "this side/direction
(of seeing ...)", but IMO it can be just memorized as a pattern of comparison.
The act of "seeing" itself is not a person.

Also note that 血の通った人間 **として** 見る is not "to see flesh-and-blood humans" but
"to see them as flesh-and-blood humans".

