Religion & Philosophy Research Guide: Intellectual Virtues

Intellectual Curiosity

A disposition to wonder, to ponder, and to ask Why. 
A thirst for understanding and a desire to explore.

Research begins with a problem to solve, a question to answer, or a need for clarification and better understanding. Curiosity is a passion for learning itself. In a sense, curiosity is self-awareness because the 'examined life' asks the Why questions and seeks Truth for the sake of truth itself. 

Contrasting Vice: Thinking dispositions of apathy, indifference, and the pursuit of comfort. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Faith - believing and trusting that truth exists, that it can be found, that it is accessible. From Augustine, we believe in order to understand. We commit ourselves to Truth, and this orientation then directs our desires and loyalty to truth. This intellectual virtue orients the thinker to oppose error, to find clarity, to shore up any incomplete understanding, and to move toward a greater grasp on meaning.
Christian Faith is a foundation for the intellectual virtue of Curiosity because God is Truth, God reveals truth, and God calls for us to seek, learn, and live out truth. Beginning with faithful loyalty to Christ, who is light, life, truth, and Creator, the researcher then practices curiosity in the pursuit of a deeper and more precise conception of the reality that Christ upholds.   

Intellectual Open-Mindedness

A disposition to give a fair and honest hearing to competing perspectives. 
An orientation of mind that is both willing and able to 'think outside of the box.

Research overcomes intellectual blinders and echo chambers. The virtuous thinker is open to the risk of changing perspectives, if that is indeed where the quest for truth leads. Being open-minded is an act of trust, an effort of self-transcendence, and a desire to honestly encounter the 'other' without fear for oneself or one's cherished ideas.  

Contrasting Vice: Thinking dispositions that are unreasonably inflexible, intentionally uninformed, or negatively dogmatic. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Faith - believing and trusting that truth will prevail, and that proper evidence and critical thinking can discover what is real. From the medieval theologian, Anselm, this is the model of 'faith seeking understanding.' Perhaps there are presuppositions that need to be adjusted or assumptions that are unwarranted.
Christian Faith is a foundation for the intellectual virtue of Open-Mindedness because God changes hearts and minds and leads in all truth. If one is faithful loyalty to Christ, then all thoughts are taken captive, hearts are opened, and eyes are given new sight. Errors of thought and belief can be redeemed, healed, conformed to Christ. The researcher practices open-mindedness by an orientation of openness to having conceptions of truth corrected, adjusted, or made whole.

Intellectual Autonomy

A disposition for active and self-directed thinking. 
A capacity that manifests itself in the ability to think and reason for oneself.

Research often builds on what has come before, but it also exists to test what has been given or handed down. Intellectual Autonomy takes responsibility for one's own beliefs instead of overly relying on others. The virtuous learner trains and develops skills needed to actively and critically engage with current scholarship. Autonomy is also seen in the act of verifying and corroborating rather than passively accepting or assuming.  

Contrasting Vice: Thinking traits of gullibility, idolatry, passivity, and servility. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Faith - Autonomy is based in a goal of believing Truth, even if that quest means asking further questions, independently verifying assumptions, and considering alternatives to traditional or currently popular views.
It may not seem immediately clear why Christian Faith is a foundation for the intellectual virtue of Autonomy, especially if autonomy is viewed as man's reason somehow standing over God and Scripture. But in the context of research and scholarship, Autonomy refers to personal assessment, judgement, and evaluation of one's beliefs; are they warranted? Autonomy means being willing to move beyond academic peer-pressure, beyond uncritical acceptance of current models and theories, and beyond poorly argued research traditions.   

Intellectual Courage

A disposition to persist in the pursuit of knowledge. 
A readiness to persevere and endure through fear, whether that be a fear of man (current scholarly consensus), a fear of embarrassment (professional incompetence), or a fear of failure (personal lack of success).

Research overcomes challenges to learning as the student moves past scholarly intimidation, censorship, and peer pressure. Courage places the quest for truth over and above both personal and professional gains. It takes courage to ask questions, even if the asking reveals the student's own ignorance or imprecision. Crouage aims a truth, even if that leads to being corrected by others. 

Contrasting Vice: Thinking dispositions that exhibit a fear of man, timidity against academic push-back, or a love of personal comfort linked with avoiding independent and new ideas or research. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Hope - Persistence in the pursuit of truth, even if that quest results in controversy or changing one's own beliefs. This intellectual virtue orients the thinker in terms of where research currently is, versus where it can or will be in the future. Courage is born from a Hope in a deeper understanding, more thorough conceptualization, and better evidences. 
Christian Hope is a foundation for the intellectual virtue of Courage in that faith-life integration necessitates endurance, especially in the face of trials and temptations. It takes courage to defend one's view, to engage in public debate, to assume a seat at the scholarly table, and to engage with contentious viewpoints. A virtuous thinker models courage when they dare to publish, to present, to defend, and to respond to objections. Courage loves truth enough that it can overcome fears that might otherwise inhibit new study.    

Intellectual Thoroughness

A disposition to seek and provide more, or better, explanations. 
A habit of mind that is unsatisfied with mere appearance of right belief, with easy answers, or with a false choice of options and alternatives.

Research progresses by means of Thoroughness where the student proves for greater understanding, clarity, and depth. This intellectual virtue is manifest where students move beyond simplistic sources to the more challenging academic materials. Thoroughness means exhausting the resources and research materials that are reasonably available. To be thorough means providing substantial and sufficient evidence.  

Contrasting Vice: Thinking traits that overlook the excluded middle, that evidence mere stagnant repetition of older arguments, and that fall into logical fallacies such as confusing correlation with causation. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Hope - Persevering in the research process to turn over every rock, consider all alternatives, engage different perspectives, and account for all the major voices on a topic. A virtuous thinker models thoroughness when they evidence a breath of scholarship inclusive of both gatekeepers and cutting-edge innovations. Hope guides the researcher with endurance to seek out more studies and consider more alternatives.  
Christian Hope is a foundation for this intellectual virtue because we only see dimly in light of our current knowledge and understanding. But research is about hope in new and better understanding. It takes Hope to move beyond familiar research 'friends'. As the student habituates patterns of thinking that exemplify Thoroughness, they overcome the temptation to stop research too early.   

Intellectual Tenacity

A disposition to embrace intellectual challenges and struggles. 
A willingness to push through and make it to the end of a major research project.

Research overcomes challenging trials and tests, avoids the easy path or quick fix, and embraces the discomfort of new ideas. Tenacity continues the quest for truth, even if this breaks with the comfort of tradition and the safety of group acceptance. The virtuous thinker perseveres and stays the course, even if it costs more time, more mental effort, and more intellectual challenge. Tenacity is the grit and determination to stick with a project, to complete the task, and to find answers. Tenacity is not afraid to circle back and repeat steps.

Contrasting Vice: Thinking traits such as intellectual laziness, sloth, and lack of commitment. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Hope - It takes steadfastness, endurance, and inner drive to habituate Tenacity. A student with this virtue keeps searching for materials, even if the initial query yields little fruit. The Tenacious researcher keeps digging, continues the effort, and accepts the difficulty that comes with a research project. There may be pressures on the student for time, resources, workspace, or available field work. Hope provides the foundation to follow through to the end. 
Christian Hope is a foundation for the intellectual virtue of Tenacity where the promise of truth and the anticipation of fresh research results carry the weary researcher through the dead ends and lack of good data. Tenacity sticks with the hurdles of editing and formatting, persevering through the challenge of writing well.    

Intellectual Attentiveness

A disposition to be 'personally present' in the learning process; to engage in learning with the whole self. 
A mindful and participatory orientation where distractions are kept at bay and the cognitive faculties are fully utilized.

Research ought to be executed with high standards of precision and alertness. Resources and voices are given due consideration and adequate time for real comprehension. The Attentive thinker is fair-minded and objective, holding a higher esteem to clarity than taking sides. The virtuous thinker will seek to define and delimit alternative views with objectivity and respectfulness, articulating their viewpoints with accuracy and detail. 

Contrasting Vice: Thinking dispositions that lack any discernable or genuine concern for other views or for properly defining and describing those views. Intellectual vice is seen in broad brushing and caricatures of counter views or arguments. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Love - A genuine concern and care for the 'other.' The relationship of Love and intellectual view is seen in one love for truth and love of neighbor to whom one will be communicating that truth. The student who is attentive demonstrates and disposition of hearing, listening, and valuing the other. The researcher who is exacting and precise demonstrate their love of neighbor, who now benefits from that clarity and understanding.
Christian Love is a foundation for the intellectual virtue of Attentiveness because no one who hates his neighbor can extend charity and grace to them or their ideas. On the other hand, Love compels the reseacher to attend thoughtfully to other ideas, positions, and perspectives. Attentiveness loves truth in such a manner that it self-sacrificially attends to details and fine points.

Intellectual Carefulness

A disposition to take notice of what one sees, interprets, and judges. 
An orientation of holding one's logic, thinking, and intellectual conclusions in check, avoiding cognitive fallacies, mistakes, and other mental pitfalls.

Research avoids rushed or hasty conclusions, formal and informal fallacies, biased comments and prejudicial interpretations. A virtuous thinker looks for quality evidence and careful reasoning while setting aside poor data. This virtue presents ideas without distortion or over generalization. 

Contrasting Vice: Thinking dispositions such as intellectual prejudice, sloppy reasoning, mis-characterization, and faulty uses of rhetoric to cover over incomplete or questionable data. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Love - being mindful of others who may read the research and pass on the findings. Love drives Carefulness knowing that others will benefit or be harmed, depending on how accurate and scholarly the work is. The virtuous person serves others (loves them) through Careful work.
Christian Love is a foundation for the intellectual virtue of Carefulness because it motivates and drives the student to take pains with their documentation and acknowledgement of resources. To love other researchers means avoiding any appearances of plagiarism and any omissions in recording the research findings. Carefulness loves others by offering good arguments and valid conclusions instead of harmful opinions and biases.   

Intellectual Honesty

A disposition to speak truth apart from personal or professional gain. 
An excellence of mind that reveals truth rather than obscuring or obfuscating it.

Research progresses with the full disclosure and acknowledgement of data. The virtuous thinker avoids using informational points out of context, and never employs loaded or confusing language. Honesty means the student never knowingly or carelessly falsifying research. This virtue will never countenance selective use of evidence, especially never as a means of supporting a pre-determined goal. Instead, Honesty gives credit where it is due, and always admits to difficulties and potential omissions in a study. 

Contrasting Vice: Any intention to deceive or distort reality. Vices include selective use or presentation of evidence, omitting key facts, providing a one-sided case, and knowing dismissal of counter arguments without real engagement. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Love - Care of others and their research leads to trust, teamwork, and enhanced community efforts. Love of others establishes a solidarity and security among researchers who can trust one another in the mutual goal of finding truth and avoiding error. Virtuous thinkers are open and honest about pros and cons of their viewpoints and the relative strength of their data. Love discloses and brings truth to light.  
Christian Love is a foundation for the intellectual virtue of Honesty where the pursuit of truth comes before self-centered pursuits of academic fame and glory. Honesty involves loving fellow researchers enough to acknowledge their contributions and insights, never passing those off as one's own ideas. We cannot love others (researchers, readers) when we are busy worshipping ourselves. Love teaches us to die to self, to serve othes, and to seek their well being, especially their thinking.   

Intellectual Humility

An acknowledgment of one's intellectual limitations and a willingness to own up to earlier cognitive mistakes. 
An excellence of thinking that is unconcerned with status and prestige while singularly focused on discovering truth.

Research is best done with the researcher is self-aware of their own knowledge gaps, reflective on their own assumptions and unstated premises, and open to having their beliefs tested or corrected. 

Contrasting Vice: Thinking dispositions of pride, arrogance, vanity, selfishness. This also includes pursuing truth for instrumental gains. 

Grounding Christian Virtue: Love - focusing on others rather than self. Love does not obtain in academic efforts toward self-aggrandizement, self-promotion, and quests for public recognition. This intellectual virtue orients the thinker towards others and away from self. Practically, it keeps conclusions from over-reaching the evidence.
Christian Love is a foundation for the intellectual virtue of Humility because love is imminently required when engaging other scholars with whom you disagree. Love is necessary to humbly receive, thoughtfully consider, and graciously respond to academic critics and rejoinders to one's own research. Without love, no true research conclusion really matters, because love must be the driving motive, not one's own gain (1 Cor 13).