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Intellectual Virtues: An Essay in Regulative Epistemology
From the ferment of recent debates about the intellectual virtues, Roberts and Wood develop an approach they call 'regulative epistemology', exploring the connection between knowledge and intellectual virtue. In the course of their argument they analyse particular virtues of intellectual life - such as courage, generosity, and humility - in detail.
- GenresPhilosophy
340 pages, Hardcover
First published January 11, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 5, 2019
It starts off dry with the foundation but gets better as it delves into the various virtues associated with emotions.
April 6, 2022
Fantastic book! Not sure I was absolutely convinced of their departures from Aristotle on the classification of the virtues, but it was a very compelling read about the nature of virtues, practices, and faculties in general and their treatment of the specific virtues. I loved the departure from the rigidity of 20th century analytic epistemology, instead embracing a wider view of knowledge, with the unifying concept being the intellectually virtuous person. I want to reread this book and take their method forth in reading intellectual biographies and analyzing them intellectually, as well as thinking more about other intellectual virtues.
January 3, 2017
One of the four most important books I've ever read.
April 12, 2012
The review below was posted to Amazon 04/10/12 under title: "Intellectual Virtues in Recovery"
I read Intellectual Virtues as part of my research into the role of the virtues in 12-Step recovery. Some virtues are said to be intellectual because they govern the use of the intellectual faculty with which we are endowed. That doesn't mean we have to be intellectuals to practice intellectual virtues. All of us practice them—or their counterparts in character defects—all of the time.
In discussing traditional classifications of the virtues found in the 12 Steps of AA, Practice These Principles notes that "Some of the above virtues may also be organized under different types of activities where they perform distinct functions. Thus humility, open-mindedness, generosity, courage, and wisdom work in certain situations as intellectual virtues or traits of intellectual character, for they govern the right exercise of such activities as learning and teaching, or acquiring and imparting knowledge and understanding. This of course doesn’t make them any less moral."
The intellectual virtues are fundamentally moral because they affect how we conduct ourselves and relate to others. Many of us have a tendency, for instance, to think that we know more than others, and we are often tempted to show it. What we usually show when we act on that temptation, however, is our conceit or lack of intellectual humility. When people make mistakes, our first impulse is to correct them and tell them how wrong they are. When we do, we miss a chance to exercise "restraint of pen and tongue" and practice a generosity that is no less spiritual for being intellectual. As William James would point out, we also fail to practice the wisdom of knowing what to overlook. And when, as the Big Book says, we close our minds to spiritual concepts and indulge in “contempt prior to investigation,” we fail to practice the virtue of open-mindedness, behind which we usually will also find the character defect of intellectual pride, what is often at the root of the dismissive and contemptuous attitudes which we end up directing at those who don’t see things our way.
This take on Intellectual Virtues of course flows from a recovery perspective and is intended for the recovery reader, whereas the primary audience for this work is the specialist and those who have a general interest in epistemology. More accessible and more useful for the recovery reader is Roberts’ other book, Spiritual Emotions: A Psychology of Christian Virtues, a seminal (and decidedly practical and spiritual) work that sheds light on the relationship between virtue, emotion, and character and which influenced my own understanding of how the spiritual principles in the 12 Steps can lead to emotional sobriety.
I read Intellectual Virtues as part of my research into the role of the virtues in 12-Step recovery. Some virtues are said to be intellectual because they govern the use of the intellectual faculty with which we are endowed. That doesn't mean we have to be intellectuals to practice intellectual virtues. All of us practice them—or their counterparts in character defects—all of the time.
In discussing traditional classifications of the virtues found in the 12 Steps of AA, Practice These Principles notes that "Some of the above virtues may also be organized under different types of activities where they perform distinct functions. Thus humility, open-mindedness, generosity, courage, and wisdom work in certain situations as intellectual virtues or traits of intellectual character, for they govern the right exercise of such activities as learning and teaching, or acquiring and imparting knowledge and understanding. This of course doesn’t make them any less moral."
The intellectual virtues are fundamentally moral because they affect how we conduct ourselves and relate to others. Many of us have a tendency, for instance, to think that we know more than others, and we are often tempted to show it. What we usually show when we act on that temptation, however, is our conceit or lack of intellectual humility. When people make mistakes, our first impulse is to correct them and tell them how wrong they are. When we do, we miss a chance to exercise "restraint of pen and tongue" and practice a generosity that is no less spiritual for being intellectual. As William James would point out, we also fail to practice the wisdom of knowing what to overlook. And when, as the Big Book says, we close our minds to spiritual concepts and indulge in “contempt prior to investigation,” we fail to practice the virtue of open-mindedness, behind which we usually will also find the character defect of intellectual pride, what is often at the root of the dismissive and contemptuous attitudes which we end up directing at those who don’t see things our way.
This take on Intellectual Virtues of course flows from a recovery perspective and is intended for the recovery reader, whereas the primary audience for this work is the specialist and those who have a general interest in epistemology. More accessible and more useful for the recovery reader is Roberts’ other book, Spiritual Emotions: A Psychology of Christian Virtues, a seminal (and decidedly practical and spiritual) work that sheds light on the relationship between virtue, emotion, and character and which influenced my own understanding of how the spiritual principles in the 12 Steps can lead to emotional sobriety.
June 27, 2015
I studied this book's contents with a fellow scholar. We specialize in psychology fields and theological methods. This text offers an in-depth, descriptive analysis of the primary virtues that represent most worldviews. I challenge any scholar to explore this book's contents, regardless of religious background. However, this book contains advanced language that may intimidate readers who lack higher education. In fact, my friend found some contents rather challenging even with his extensive background from the Colgate Seminary at University of Rochester. So, be prepared to be challenged intellectually!
The following themes represent the book's main points:
1) Regulative epistemology should enter academe and compete against modern emphasis on analytical epistemology.
2) The virtue of autonomy requires leaders to understand limitations of their positional powers in order to empower followers to produce the best goods possible. These productions require freedom from oppressive influence, authoritarian rigidity, and unreasonable compliance with immoral rules.
3) The intellectual faculties require nourishment and development through self-reflection and exploration.
4) Seven main virtues uphold the most significance: love of knowledge, firmness, courage and caution, humility, autonomy, generosity, and practical wisdom.
5) Practical wisdom is the primary goal of the intellectual virtues of moral character.
The following themes represent the book's main points:
1) Regulative epistemology should enter academe and compete against modern emphasis on analytical epistemology.
2) The virtue of autonomy requires leaders to understand limitations of their positional powers in order to empower followers to produce the best goods possible. These productions require freedom from oppressive influence, authoritarian rigidity, and unreasonable compliance with immoral rules.
3) The intellectual faculties require nourishment and development through self-reflection and exploration.
4) Seven main virtues uphold the most significance: love of knowledge, firmness, courage and caution, humility, autonomy, generosity, and practical wisdom.
5) Practical wisdom is the primary goal of the intellectual virtues of moral character.
January 11, 2013
A very helpful volume on virtue epistemology. Though I am unfamiliar with W. Jay Wood, I know Roberts to be a Christian philosopher, and one who is contributing greatly to the philosophical categories of emotion, epistemology, and virtue ethics from an evangelical worldview. I am thankful for him and look forward to his future work in the field.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews