Vice Epistemology

Closed-mindedness, arrogance, and insensitivity make us bad thinkers. They are intellectual vices. This conference addresses three sets of questions about intellectual vices. (1) What features are common to intellectual vices like closed-mindedness, arrogance, and insensitivity? Do they prevent us from acquiring and sharing knowledge? Do they involve willful ignorance? (2) Can educational practices, social-media environments, and social oppression contribute to the development of intellectual vices? Can intellectual vices further erode our social and epistemic environments? (3) How can we detect, dislodge, and avoid intellectual vices? Answers to these questions are contributions to the emerging field of Vice Epistemology. The titles of the talks include:

"The Structure of Intellectual Vices”

“Closed-mindedness as an Intellectual Vice”

“The Metaphysical Foundations of Vice Epistemology”

“Intellectual Snobs"

“Vicious Schooling”

“Epistemic Vices and Social Oppression”

“Insensitivity as an Epistemic Vice”

“Epistemic Vices, and Social-Epistemic Networks”

“Intellectual Vices and the Epistemology of Ignorance”

“Vicious Questioning in the Media”