Intellectual Humility: Science (Coursera)

Experts in psychology, philosophy and education are conducting exciting new research on these questions, and the results have important, real-world applications. Faced with difficult questions people often tend to dismiss and marginalize dissent. Political and moral disagreements can be incredibly polarizing, and sometimes even dangerous. And whether it’s Christian fundamentalism, Islamic extremism, or militant atheism, religious dialogue remains tinted by arrogance, dogma, and ignorance. The world needs more people who are sensitive to reasons both for and against their beliefs, and are willing to consider the possibility that their political, religious and moral beliefs might be mistaken. The world needs more intellectual humility.

In this course, we will examine the following major questions about the science of intellectual humility:

• How do we become intellectually humble?

• How can human cognition tell us about intellectual humility?

• How does arrogance develop, and how can we become more open-minded?

• How do emotions affect our ability to be intellectually humble?

All lectures are delivered by leading specialists, and the course is organised around a number of interesting readings and practical assignments which will help you address issues related to humility in your daily life.

This course can be taken as a part of a series which explores the theory, the science and the applied issues surrounding intellectual humility. In the previous course on the theory behind intellectual humility, we considered how to define intellectual humility, the nature of an intellectual virtue, and how we know who is intellectually humble. If you are interested, complete all three courses to gain a broader understanding of this fascinating topic. Look for:

• Intellectual Humility: Theory

• Intellectual Humility: Practice

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Getting Started

Humility, exploration, and the psychology of child development

Dr Cristine Legare argues that humility is intimately connected to a state of openness to new ideas, and looks at how we can foster this in children. It turns out that what psychologists say makes kids better at exploring, explaining and being open, is not necessarily how they're taught at school!

WEEK 2

What makes us arrogant? Biases, heuristics and cognitive psychology

Professor Frank Keil discusses a number of biases which we all have, and which can make us more arrogant and dogmatic by leading us to think that we know more than we actually do. Can you find examples of those biases in the news, and perhaps even in yourself?

WEEK 3

Dogmatism and open-mindedness in politics, religion, and life

Professor Victor Ottati (like Dr. Legare before) thinks that humility has a lot to do with being open to new ideas and to things we disagree with. He shows how our ability to be open-minded is related to our personal traits and to specific situations. How open-minded do you think you are about politics, religion, and any other ideas you disagree with?

WEEK 4

Humility, emotions and human relations: a view from social psychology

Professor Vasu Reddy suggests that in understanding humility, we should focus on emotions rather than on reason; on what humility feels like, not how we understand it. Humility, she says, is not a special, lofty virtue - it's a commonplace, everyday thing, and it's about being open to engagement with others. Could this help you bring more humility to your daily interactions?

End of course assignments