The 10 Signs of Intellectual Honesty

Wed

Nov

Robstroy

When it comes to just about any topic, it seems as if the public discourse on the internet is dominated by rhetoric and propaganda. People are either selling products or ideology. In fact, just because someone may come across as calm and knowledgeable does not mean you should let your guard down and trust what they say. What you need to look for is a track record of intellectual honesty. Let me therefore propose 10 signs of intellectual honesty.

Do not overstate the power of your argument.
Show a willingness to publicly acknowledge that reasonable alternative viewpoints
Be willing to publicly acknowledge and question one’s own assumptions and biases.
Be willing to publicly acknowledge where your argument is weak.
Be willing to publicly acknowledge when you are wrong.
Demonstrate consistency.
Address the argument instead of attacking the person making the argument.
When addressing an argument, do not misrepresent it.
Show a commitment to critical thinking.
Be willing to publicly acknowledge when a point or criticism is good.