Today’s post was written by library student assistant, Sharav Jiwrajka.
On Monday, March 16, the library hosted a workshop, “Habits of Mind: Activating Intellectual Virtues in Academic Research,” in collaboration with professors Jason Baehr and Dan Speak (Philosophy). The session focused on the idea that strong research is not just a function of knowledge and technical ability, but also of intellectual character. The team of faculty and librarian presenters introduced the concept of “intellectual virtues:” the personal qualities that shape how individuals think, learn, and engage with information. This reframing challenged the common assumption that research is purely skill-based and instead emphasized that mindset and habits play a central role in determining the quality of one’s research work.
The workshop centered around six core intellectual virtues: curiosity, open-mindedness, intellectual humility, intellectual courage, intellectual perseverance, and intellectual autonomy. Each virtue was presented as a practical way of approaching learning. Curiosity was framed as actively asking thoughtful questions rather than passively consuming information. Intellectual humility involved recognizing the limits of one’s knowledge and avoiding overconfidence. Intellectual autonomy emphasized forming independent judgments, while open-mindedness required fairly considering alternative perspectives. Intellectual courage and perseverance highlighted the importance of engaging with challenging ideas and continuing through difficulty rather than avoiding discomfort.
One key aspect of the session was the idea that each virtue exists on a spectrum. Drawing on Aristotle’s concept of balance, the workshop explained that both excess and deficiency can be counterproductive. For example, excessive open-mindedness can lead to gullibility, while too little results in closed-mindedness. This framing made the virtues more realistic and actionable, as it positioned them as qualities that require balance rather than maximization.
The session also included interactive components that reinforced these concepts. The presenters used polls to prompt participants to reflect on their awareness of their own character strengths and whether they view traits such as curiosity and perseverance as essential to research. A scenario-based activity required participants to apply a specific intellectual virtue to a real-world situation involving differing interpretations of information. This exercise demonstrated how intellectual virtues directly influence how individuals interpret, evaluate, and respond to information beyond academic contexts.
Another significant component was the “Digital Intellectual Character Self-Assessment.” This activity required participants to evaluate themselves across all six virtues, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and reflect on how these traits have influenced their academic and personal development. The guided discussion encouraged deeper reflection on the accuracy of these results, the impact of one’s strengths, and the limitations created by weaker areas.
Overall, the workshop presented research as a combination of technical skill and intellectual character. It highlighted that even individuals with strong analytical abilities can produce ineffective or biased work if they lack traits such as humility, perseverance, or open-mindedness. The session concluded with a reflection exercise that required participants to select one intellectual virtue to develop and identify a specific action to practice it. This reinforced the idea that intellectual character is not fixed, but can be developed intentionally over time.