Jason Baehr

The Structure of Open-Mindedness

Open-mindedness enjoys widespread recognition as an intellectual virtue. This is evident, among other ways, in its appearance on nearly every list of intellectual virtues in the virtue epistemology literature. Despite its popularity, however, it is far from clear what exactly openmindedness amounts to: that is, what sort of intellectual orientation or activity is essential to it. In fact, there are ways of thinking about open-mindedness that cast serious doubt on its status as an intellectual virtue. Consider the following description, from Robert Roberts and Jay Wood (2007), of a ‘bright college freshman, taking an introductory course in philosophy.’ Given this student’s ‘taste for ideas,’

The Varieties of Character and Some Implications for Character Education

The moral and civic dimensions of personal character have been widely recognized and explored. Recent work by philosophers, psychologists, and education theorists has drawn attention to two additional dimensions of character: intellectual character and “performance” character. This article sketches a “four-dimensional” conceptual model of personal character and some of the character strengths or “virtues” proper to each dimension. In addition to exploring how the dimensions of character are related to each other, the article also examines the implications of this account for character education undertaken in a youth or adolescent context. It is argued that “intellectual character education,” which emphasizes the development of intellectual virtues like curiosity, open-mindedness, and intellectual courage, is an underexplored but especially promising approach in this context. The relationship between intellectual character education and traditional character education, which emphasizes the development of moral and civic virtues like kindness, generosity, and tolerance, is also explored.

Is intellectual character growth a realistic educational aim

Abstract Responsibilist approaches to virtue epistemology examine the epistemic significance of intellectual virtues like curiosity, attentiveness, intellectual humility, open-mindedness, intellectual courage, and intellectual tenacity. On one way of thinking about these traits, they are the deep personal qualities or character traits of a good thinker or learner. Given the intimate connection between intellectual virtues and good thinking and learning, responsibilist virtue epistemology appears ripe for application to educational theory and practice. At a minimum, growth in intellectual virtues seems like a worthy educational aim. But is such an aim realistic? There are at least three objections to thinking that it is. In this paper, I defend the enterprise of educating for growth in intellectual virtues against each of these objections. I conclude that if pursued in the right way, intellectual character growth is a worthy and realistic educational aim—one that justifies rethinking some fundamental educational priorities and practices.

Book Review: Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their RemediesGlittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies, by Konyndyk DeYoungRebecca. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2009. 208pp.

Literature on spiritual formation often focuses on its ultimate goal or on the kinds of exercises or disciplines that can help the reader achieve this goal. There is, of course, much wisdom in this approach, yet it is often ineffective. Many careful readers fail to begin practicing the relevant disciplines or to make much progress toward taking on the character of Christ. A partial explanation is that, for many of us, there are substantial inner obstacles to a robust and ongoing pursuit of what we know is best and most vital. It stands to reason that the literature on spiritual formation would benefit from a deeper and more probing account of some of these obstacles. Glittering Vices is an excellent and important contribution in precisely this regard. It offers a thoughtful, historically informed, and engaging account of the so-called “seven deadly sins” or “capital vices”—an account in which most readers are bound to catch glimpses of themselves and that can therefore be put to good use in a program of spiritual formation. Konyndyk DeYoung describes this function of her book as follows: