Too Much of a Good Thing: Differentiating Intellectual Humility from Servility in Higher Education

Y

13

Personality Problems; Moral Values; Intervention; Outcomes of Education; Ethics; Intellectual Development; Disadvantaged; Citizen Participation; Correlation; Undergraduate Students; Student Diversity; Risk; Interpersonal Relationship; Self Concept; Minority Group Students; Personality Measures; Social Media; Personality Traits; Race

10.1080/03057240.2022.2126829

0305-7240
1465-3877

Recent studies have suggested that intellectual humility (IH) might facilitate (a) better learning outcomes, (b) more scientific mindedness, and (c) better peer and professional relationships. However, recent philosophical work has raised concerns that too much IH might lead to intellectual servility (IS), and thus might be vicious (albeit not blameworthy) rather than virtuous. We define IS as a disposition to over-own one's intellectual limitations and disregard one's intellectual strengths. We begin by outlining the importance of distinguishing IS from IH, noting that marginalized social groups (e.g., students of color) may be at greater risk for developing the vice of IS than the vice of intellectual arrogance. Then, in a sample of 94 racially diverse undergraduate students, we provide evidence that IS may be detrimental in educational contexts. IS was positively related to maladaptive perfectionism, and it was negatively related to civic engagement, conscientiousness, and openness. We conclude by discussing implications for fostering virtuous IH in higher educational settings. Namely, if IH interventions do not correct for the possibility of over-owning limitations, we risk exacerbating IS.

As Provided

2023

EJ1380577