Project Leader: Dr. Justin L. Barrett
Funded by: The John Templeton Foundation at $5.3 million dollars
Project dates: July 1, 2012 – June 20, 2015
Although humility has
received significant attention, its distinctively intellectual side needs much
further exploration. Intellectual humility concerns how we come to hold and
retain our beliefs. It is constituted by a state of openness to new ideas,
receptivity to new sources of evidence and the implications of that evidence,
and willingness to revise even deeply held beliefs in the face of compelling
reasons.
This project will:
- Support research on under-explored areas in
psychology and evolution of intellectual humility / arrogance
- Foster critical engagement between the cognitive
and evolutionary sides
- Digest the results of work in the field in order
to advance its philosophical and theological significance
- Assess the relevance of the results to determine
the impediments to intellectual humility, and to identify concrete strategies
for overcoming these native tendencies
The three-year project
will produce a significant volume of research with the goal of leading other
scientists—as well as theologians, traditional philosophers, and experimental
philosophers—to devote more attention to the subject of intellectual humility.
Fuller will distribute $4 million of the grant to 16 “sub-grantees” who will
engage in scientific research on the nature, implications, and ultimate causes
of intellectual humility and arrogance—resulting in a body of literature and
two conferences that will promote dialogue and collaboration on the topic. The
deadline for submitting letters of intent is July 1, 2012. The request for
proposals can be accessed on the right sidebar.
The project’s ultimate
goal is to inform work in philosophy, theology, and clinical psychology in ways
that will lead to greater openness, more civil discourse, and flourishing in human
relationships.