ABSTRACT
A comprehensive epistemology should not be either atomistic to the point of neglecting intellectual character or holistic to the point of neglecting individual beliefs. Much of twentieth-century epistemology might be plausibly said to be excessively atomistic, focusing on individual beliefs and instances of knowledge of specific propositions. Since at least the 1990s, however, we have seen progressively more theorizing in which the focus is holistic, with elements of intellectual character receiving intensive study (Greco 2000, 2004; Sosa 1991, 2007; Zagzebski 1996). This chapter is focused mainly on intellectual character—especially on traits deserving to be considered virtues—but it will also explore connections between virtues as traits and individual elements such as beliefs as their manifestations.
