Abstract
We shall argue that epistemic abilities and achievements can be understood in terms of inquiry that virtuously opens, sustains and sates curiosity. So, here is the preview. The next section briefly discusses Baehr’s proposal to characterize epistemic virtues, in order to fully prepare the ground for our central thesis. Section 3 proposes a kind of Master Argument for the centrality of curiosity, concentrating on our cognitive abilities and the way curiosity organizes the ways we exercise them in order to reach the truth. Section 4 turns to the relation of curiosity to the character-directed epistemic virtues, like intellectual courage and humility. The somewhat longer Sect. 5 addresses the arguments that have been put forward against the centrality of curiosity, some in books and papers, and some in actual discussion of the proposed Master Argument. The conclusion summarizes the two goals of the chapter: first, to argue that curiosity organizes or helps to organize abilities and character traits that have to do with cognition, and second, to offer a sketch of a new and systematic view of both relevant abilities and character traits, or of “epistemic virtues” as they are nowadays called.
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