Posted: December 26, 2012 by tallbloke in solar system dynamics

Great post from Judith Curry at Climate Etc

Climate Etc.

by Judith Curry

Philosophers known as “virtue epistemologists” claim that the goods of the intellectual life—knowledge, wisdom, understanding, etc.—are more easily obtained by persons possessing mature traits of intellectual character, such as open-mindedness, teachability, and intellectual courage, than by persons who lack these virtues or who are marked by their opposing vices.  – Jay Wood

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Comments
  1. Chris M says:
    December 27, 2012 at 9:55 am

    Went over there and saw Willis attempting to dominate proceedings – tl;dr. I never read any of his guff. In the climate debate it helps to be selective and discerning in not only what to read, but who to read, on the sceptical as well as the warmist side. But Judith is right in implying that ethics isn’t a strong point for some scientists, or even ‘psyentists’.

    The policymakers don’t seem to pay much heed to virtuousness in climate science; they are more concerned with what they have been told is the scientific consensus. If ‘prominent’ climatologists attempt to distort the state of knowledge for self-serving purposes, it is up to their peers to call them out, to show ordinary courage rather than intellectual courage. Until that happens routinely, nothing will change.

  2. michael hart says:
    December 27, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    Unfortunately, funding processes often mitigate against humility. Sometimes they also work in favour of those with a surfeit of confidence over competence.

    Be that as it may, an appointed judge who publicly campaigned for, say, the death penalty might not be seen as impartial if such cases later appeared in their courtroom. High profile scientists should not need reminding of this when they are clearly attempting to influence political decisions.

  3. J Martin says:
    December 27, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    Intellectual humility and a tendency towards climate alarmism are mutually exclusive properties.

    And so Michael Mann etc will never achieve a scientific breakthrough or lasting fame. Lasting infamy perhaps.