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Intégrité: A Faith and Learning Journal Intégrité: A Faith and Learning Journal Vol. 19, No. 2 (Fall 2020): 8-19
Intellectual Humility as the Pathway to Interdependent Learning in Christian Higher Education Kyle A. Schenkewitz Mount St. Joseph University Cincinnati, OH Trevor Hurd, a recent college graduate, reflected that he was “taught to challenge nearly every assumption and adopt an attitude of intellectual humility that encourages a pragmatic approach to life that is likely to be fruitful for years to come” (Hurd). Wishfully, I would like to think that my Introduction to Philosophy course was part of his experience, especially the development of intellectual humility. Regardless of my personal impact, Hurd’s emphasis on intellectual humility within the academic community is an explicit reference to a value that is often only implied. In this essay, I will argue that intellectual humility is a virtue ideally situated to the college learning environment and one that must be modeled and practiced as part of students’ academic growth in the intellectual community. First, I will examine the primary philosophical depictions of intellectual humility. I will then explore the specific role intellectual humility can play in a Christian perspective on interdependent education and growth in knowledge. Finally, I will demonstrate how intellectual humility and interdependent learning can shape course learning objectives and enhance pedagogical techniques in institutions of Christian higher education.
Intellectual Humility as a Virtue Intellectual humility is one of several intellectual virtues. A virtue, generally, is an excellent trait of human character. For Aristotle, virtues are either moral or intellectual. An intellectual virtue is an excellence in wisdom and understanding (23). Roberts and Wood define them as “acquired bases of excellent intellectual functioning...” (Intellectual Virtues 60). Jason Baehr connects several intellectual virtues to beneficial qualities of learning that can “help students learn to ask good questions (curiosity), take up alternative standpoints (open-mindedness), notice important details (attentiveness), take intellectual risks (intellectual courage), and persist in the face of intellectual challenges (intellectual tenacity)” (“Introduction” 4). Intellectual humility, as an intellectual virtue, must be an essential aspect of an excellent thinker. Intellectual humility is characteristic of a person who is well-formed in their cognitive process. In contemporary philosophy, three prominent depictions of intellectual humility stand out. However, following the critique of Hill, Dunnington, and
