Epistemic Virtues

1. Intellectual Humility

• Do I acknowledge when I don’t know something?
• Am I open to revising my beliefs in light of new evidence?
• Do I recognize the limits of my knowledge?

2. Intellectual Courage

• Am I willing to consider and investigate ideas that challenge my own beliefs?
• Do I raise difficult questions, even if they are unpopular?
• Do I admit when my previous reasoning was flawed?

3. Intellectual Carefulness / Conscientiousness

• Do I double-check facts, sources, and reasoning?
• Am I precise and thorough in how I handle information?
• Do I avoid rushing to judgment or drawing conclusions on flimsy evidence?

4. Intellectual Tenacity / Perseverance

• Do I persist in seeking the truth even when the task is difficult or frustrating?
• Am I willing to keep searching for better evidence or explanations?

5. Intellectual Autonomy

• Do I form my own well-reasoned opinions, rather than just repeating what others say?
• Do I understand why I believe what I believe?

6. Intellectual Integrity

• Do I apply the same standards of evidence and reasoning to my own beliefs as I do to others’?
• Am I honest about my reasoning processes, biases, and potential errors?

7. Intellectual Empathy / Fair-mindedness

• Do I strive to understand other perspectives accurately, even when I disagree?
• Am I able to articulate the strongest version of another person’s position?
• Do I avoid straw-manning or misrepresenting arguments?

Sample Epistemic Virtue Audit

• ☐ Did we (or the system) acknowledge uncertainty where appropriate?
• ☐ Did we check facts and sources before making claims?
• ☐ Did we consider alternative viewpoints fairly?
• ☐ Did we note and question our own biases?
• ☐ Did we admit knowledge gaps instead of bluffing?
• ☐ Did we maintain a consistent standard of evidence throughout?