Essay On Intellectual Conformity

Words: 458
Pages: 2

Two intellectual virtues are, intellectual conformity and intellectual autonomy. When it comes to intellectual conformity it is defined as, "the tendency to passively accept the views of others and agree with mass positions on issues" ( Paul & Elders, 2012 P.14). This virtue is different than intellectual autonomy, for the reason that the person reflects the beliefs and values of those who surrounds them. These people tend to just believe in beliefs they haven;'t analyzed, just to not be critize. Those who are conformists lack intellectual skills, and they barely think for themselves. With intellectual confirmity the person can only think about viewpoints that are accepted. Now, when it comes to intellectual autonomy it is defined as, "thinking for …show more content…
They are only influenced by others, when the views are reasonable and are given with evidence. Independent thinkers choose the values by which they live. These thinkers don't mindlessly accept the bliefs and values that are presented to them, they rather evaluate the practices that others accept. My own personal expirence with intellectual conformity was when I was in high school, a teacher asked if we disagree or agree with capital punishment, I personally am bias towards this subject, however, almost all students had decided they wanted to be agaisnt it. At that moment, I didn't want to be the outcast, and I agree with them knowing well that it was a subject, that I would evaluate more. However, at that moent I agreed with their belief, out of conformity. Now an example of intellectual autonomy was when I took the decison to attend college. I am a first generation in college, and that makes it even more harder on me, because my family can be a bit unhelpful and negative at times. One time I was hearing opinions and comments from every corner, but one comment that drag me to my decision was my