IVA’s Nine Master Virtues
Intellectual virtues are the personal qualities of a good thinker or learner. At IVA, we focus on promoting and fostering nine master virtues: curiosity, intellectual humility, intellectual autonomy, attentiveness, intellectual carefulness, intellectual thoroughness, open-mindedness, intellectual courage, and intellectual perseverance.
These virtues fall into three categories, corresponding to three stages or dimensions of learning: getting the learning process started and headed in the right direction; making the learning process go well; and overcoming challenges to productive learning.
GETTING STARTED
- Curiosity: ask questions.
A disposition to wonder, ponder, and ask why. A thirst for understanding and a desire to explore. - Intellectual humility: admit what you don’t know.
A willingness to “own” up to one’s intellectual limitations and mistakes. Unconcerned with intellectual status or prestige. - Intellectual autonomy: think for yourself.
A capacity for active, self-directed thinking. An ability to think and reason for oneself.
EXECUTING WELL
- Attentiveness: look and listen.
A readiness to be “personally present” in the learning process. Keeps distractions at bay. Strives to be mindful and engaged. - Intellectual carefulness: think with care.
A sensitivity to the requirements of good thinking. Quick to notice and avoid intellectual pitfalls and mistakes. Strives for accuracy. - Intellectual thoroughness: go deep.
Unsatisfied with mere appearances or easy answers. Probes for deeper meaning and understanding.
HANDLING CHALLENGES
- Open-mindedness: think outside the box.
An ability to think outside the box. Gives a fair and honest hearing to competing perspectives. - Intellectual courage: take risks.
A readiness to persist in thinking or communicating in the face of fear, including fear of embarrassment or failure. - Intellectual tenacity: embrace struggle.
A willingness to embrace intellectual challenge and struggle. Keeps its “eye on the prize” and doesn’t give up.
