Travis Research Institute - Intellectual Humility Project

Intellectual Humility Project

The Science of Intellectual Humility

The Science of Intellectual Humility project is funded by The John Templeton Foundation for $5.3 million dollars and will run from July 1, 2012 through June 20, 2015.

Project Leader:Dr. Justin Barrett

Executive Summary

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 request for proposals can be accessed here.

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.