We have lost the cultivation of virtue
Much like our own research journey, it is always helpful when the author is clear about the problem she is seeking to address. Elder described the problem she was seeking to address as a problem of formation and awareness. The author writes: “But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life. Excellence in thought, however, must be systematically cultivated.”[1]
The book serves as a short guide to supplement textbook reading that requires critical thinking. According to the author, critical thinking is a skill that can be cultivated. The author claims that a well trained critical thinker:
- raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
- gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively;
- comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
- thinks openmindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and
- communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.[2]
The author also included a variety of visual models to the help the critical thinker organize and gain perspective of the different elements of thought and how they relate to one another.
Of particular interest to me was the section on Intellectual Traits and Virtues, along with the Problem of Egocentric Thinking. These particular commentaries bring to light various influences on the way humans think about ideas and concepts, and the need to understand these influences and develop intellectual virtues that contribute to more useful thinking patterns. Among the virtues the author considers: Intellectual Empathy, Intellectual Autonomy, Intellectual Integrity, Intellectual Humility, Confidence in Reason, Intellectual Perseverance, Fairmindedness, and Intellectual Courage.[3] Each of these virtues were interesting to me, especially since our congregation has been enduring many hard conversations around systemic racism, LGBTQ issues, and other issues at the intersection of the church’s public witness. I notice that almost every time the conversation hits a dead end, or goes awry, it’s due to what I have perceived as a lack of intellectual virtue.
Intellectual humility requires one to be self-aware regarding the vast array of influences to one’s thinking. It requires one to respect the views of the other by acknowledging that no one person can see all of life clearly. Intellectual humility acknowledges that no one is omnipotent.
My undergraduate education at Westmont was focused on theories and practices of classical rhetoric. When one studies the intellectual works of the Sophists, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Quintilian and the like, it’s difficult not to see how current intellectual education has left virtue as an unnecessary option. These intellectual giants from the classical world emphasize intellectual virtue as integral to the cultivation of intellectual capacity. The believed that intellectual engagement involved not just the mind, but the whole person, and serious intellectual engagement also requires love. In fact, “rhetoric” was defined for me as “loving appropriately through speech.” Isn’t that fantastic?
Unfortunately, the problem of egocentric thinking has dominated the political discourse in the United States for at least a decade. The author writes: “Egocentric thinking results from the unfortunate fact that humans do not naturally consider the rights and needs of others. We do not naturally appreciate the point of view of others nor the limitations in our own point of view…As humans we live with the unrealistic but confident sense that we have fundamentally figured out the way things actually are, and that we have done this objectively.”[4]
How foolish we are. What has happened to the cultivation of intellectual virtue in the American education system? It’s critical that especially as Christians, if we are going to be serious research students, we must work intentionally and rigorously to cultivate these virtues along with the other attributes of critical thinking the author describes.
[1] Richard Paul and Linda Elder, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2006), 1-21, accessed October 30, 2017, https://www.criticalthinking.org/files/Concepts_Tools.pdf.
[2] Ibid, 4.
[3] Ibid, 15.
[4] Linda Elder, Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools, 7th ed. (New York: Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009), Kindle edition, loc: 247.
About the Author
Chris Pritchett
8 responses to “We have lost the cultivation of virtue”
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“In fact, ‘rhetoric’ was defined for me as ‘loving appropriately through speech.’ Isn’t that fantastic?”
Yes! Absolutely fantastic.
And Yes! I do think that we as Christians have a responsibility to intellectually integrity and the preservation of virtue. What are some ways that you can do (or are doing) that in these difficult conversations with your congregation?
Hey Jennifer, thanks for asking. I just responded below to Trisha who basically asked the same question. Perhaps my response there will suffice. If not, let me know and I’ll share more. 🙂
I don’t really know. Worship is the primary place where our virtues are formed as a community. We celebrate Communion every week, which requires humility if done honestly. We have an honest prayer of confession every week. The sermon of course is always intended to form virtues in people through Christ. It seems to me that the church–in everything good it does–is one of the few institutions left in this country that forms virtues in people.
Hi Chris!
I feel like we wrote our blogs this week with similar thoughts! Your statement “The believed that intellectual engagement involved not just the mind, but the whole person, and serious intellectual engagement also requires love.” is very important as Christians, and more importantly, as Christian Leaders. Just today in Bible study we were assessing our church’s health in speaking the truth in love. Are we honest with each other? Are we – more importantly – loving when we’re honest? Imagine a church/community/country where conversations come out of a place of loving. If we could engage in discussion/debate with respect and with good intentions..I honestly can’t imagine it (and would be worked out of a job). How is your church doing with this challenging task? What are your thoughts about how our cohort discussed tough issues in SA? I am on board with your thoughts on intellectual engagement through love. It will be at the front of my mind this week as I navigate life and work!
Great post Chris. I resonated with the part about intellectual traits and virtues as well and agree with you in that the church today needs to very much cultivate the virtue of intellectual humility. So many people have beliefs or thinking that they are not even aware of where it came from or what has had an influence on them. I’m curious how you are dealing with this with your church members when talking about those controversial issues. You will be in my prayers and I am behind you brother! Blessings my friend.
Chris,
I loved your quote regarding rhetoric as appropriate loving. I wonder how that thought and those addressed in Elder might apply to our situation in the PCUSA as we wrestle with Race, Gender and LGBTQ issues, yet seem unable to listen to any other perspective than our own. Do you think that there is something to be found in the Elder book that might help us with more meaningful and yet worthwhile dialogue?
Chris,
Your bullet points on questions, relevant information, well-reasoned conclusions, openmindedness, and effective communication are a helpful reminder and insight
from Elder’s text. I am particularly interested in how you see these working themselves out in your practical ministry, developing virtue in your congregation and/or in your research? It seems you had much to chew one and the digesting of some of it takes time but I would love to hear your thoughts.
Trisha, thanks for responding to my post. There are so many different ways we do this formative work in our congregation. The pulpit is obviously the primary place of teaching virtue, but aside from that we have lots of conversations in small and medium-size groups around controversial issues. This is critical for our community to remain in unity because of the stark political diversity in the church. We had a series on LGBTQ issues and particularly marriage, where presentations were given to support both sides of the marriage debate, including various interpretations of Scripture (our church has a traditional stance on the issue but we’re trying to figure out how to be welcoming and loving nonetheless). I did the teaching, and then I had a partner who then guided table conversations on how to listen to one another, values for how to disagree in love and to speak in love. This sounds simple but it’s simply not practiced in our society, so I have to literally teach people how to talk to each other. Currently, we are doing the same thing on the issue of race, called “Voices of Color.” Various conversations of listening to the cries of the black community without judgment or “white-splaining.” We are using various mediums from pop culture- film, literature, art, hip-hop, podcasts, etc. I will be leading a conversation about the spirituality of the black lives matter movement and it’s sure to draw an otherwise hostile and contentious crowd. But our people are learning to love one another and show a different way to the world in a divided and polarized America. We have a long way to go, but we’ve been at it for a few years now and growth is happening. Thanks for asking!