Introduction
This project has for three years considered the theory, development, and practice of intellectual humility in science. Intellectual humility can be defined as having an accurate epistemic assessment and awareness, encompassing both the strengths and limitations of oneself and others, that manifests in appropriate actions in the pursuit of rightly-ordered good ends. The role of humility in science is complicated, especially when considering the history of science along with the current norms, such as how science is taught, scientists are trained, and research is conducted. Science is often a communal, group effort, for which humility would be regarded as important, while recognizing one’s own gaps in knowledge and understanding are essential for making progress. However, there are many examples of successful scientists whose absolute self-confidence in their research might be considered arrogance. To reconcile these contradictions, the Intellectual Humidity in Science project has several components to address questions about our understanding, assessment and development of humility.
Components
1: Can we formulate a robust definition of intellectual humility in scientific practice?
2: Can intellectual humility (IH) be analyzed as a trait of a social group or institution, and not just as an individual trait?
3: How should we measure, assess, or evaluate IH in science (whether at an individual or group level)?
4: Can we envision plausible ways in which individuals, social groups, or institutions might encourage the development of IH in individual scientists or groups of scientists? For more information go here.
Participants
Participants in the project have diverse backgrounds in philosophy, psychology, and science education, and have leveraged their knowledge, understanding, and experiences to address the different components of the project. Information about the participants can be found here.
Funding
This project was generously supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation (grant # 62261).
Information
If you have questions, please contact Tom Stapleford (Principle Investigator, tstaplef@nd.edu), Program of Liberal Studies, University of Notre Dame