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?