Review of Jason Baehr, The inquiring mind : on intellectual virtues and virtue epistemology

Abstract

If the nature of humans is to inquire into the world around them, then the way this inquiry is conducted is revealing in that it can say something about the character or worth of the person. The person who desires certain goals (truth, knowledge, understanding, etc) for their intrinsic value, and who exercises certain virtues (open-mindedness, attentiveness, intellectual courage, patience, humility, etc) in order to achieve these ends is an intellectually virtuous person. This is Baehr’s position on the nature of intellectual virtue, a position that explains intellectual virtues as ‘responsibilist’ or ‘character-based’ since the exercise of these virtues is an act of responsibility by the person performing them which in turn reflects on the worth of the person.