Kent Dunnington to Present at GU’s November Conference
Published: April 13, 2021
Biola University Associate Professor of Philosophy and former GU Professor of Philosophy Kent Dunnington returns to campus November 8-10 to present at GUs Science Through the Eyes of Faith (STEF) Conference.
His lecture, Intellectual Humility and Incentivized Belief, examines the consequences that can result when institutions require individuals to hold certain beliefs for membership. Dunnington argues that the incentive to defend an idea in order to remain in good standing with an organization can lead to a lack of intellectual honesty and humility in dialogue.
This applies to many religious topics, Dunnington states, including the complicated relationship between Christianity and scientific study.
Christianity (contrary to popular belief) is largely responsible for the emergence and progress of the modern natural sciences, Dunnington says. But, he says, conflicts have also arisenthink the churchs rejection of Galileos work or the contentious so-called Scopes Monkey Trial.
When we think about the conflict between Christian beliefs and scientific claims, we tend to think that what is under threat, mainly, is truth, Dunnington says. We rarely consider, though, how such conflicts can represent a threat to virtue as well, especially the intellectual virtues of open-mindedness and humility.
He explains that beliefs can become so entrenched in the culture of an organization that any member may be inclined to overstate their justified confidence in those beliefs, leading to a breakdown of honest dialogue.
Dunnington frames his topic not as a doom-and-gloom prediction of the human minds failings, but as an opportunity to recognizeand hopefully diffusea common problem.
The challenge [posed by incentivized belief] is by no means insurmountable, but it is one that we should take under careful consideration, he says.
Dunnington taught philosophy at GU from 2007 until 2015, and directed the McAllaster Scholars honors program and the Greenville University Prison Initiative. He will speak at GUs 9:30 a.m. chapel service the Monday after the conference, November 11, on the topic of Addiction and God, and again at a colloquium that afternoon.
Other members of the GU family returning to campus to present at the conference include Craig Boyd 85, current professor of philosophy at St. Louis University; David Barnes 60, emeritus professor of biology at Roberts Wesleyan College; and Paul Stroble 79, professor of philosophy and religious studies at Webster University.
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