journal article
Intellectual HonestySynthese
Vol. 145, No. 2, Candor in Science (Jun., 2005)
, pp. 177-232 (56 pages)
Published By: Springer
//www.jstor.org/stable/20118591
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Abstract
Engaging a listener's trust imposes moral demands upon a presenter in respect of truthtelling and completeness. An agent lies by an utterance that satisfies what are herein defined as signal and mendacity conditions; an agent deceives when, in satisfaction of those conditions, the agent's utterances contribute to a false belief or thwart a true one. I advert to how we may fool ourselves in observation and in the perception of our originality. Communication with others depends upon a convention or practice of presumed nonuniversal truthfulness. In support of an asserted duty of nondeceptiveness, I offer a reconciliation of pertinent Kantian passages, a sketch of arguments within utilitarianism, contractarianism, and other views, and an account arguing for application of that duty to assertions, implicatures, omissions, equivocation, prevarication, and sophistry insofar as they affect listeners' doxastic states. For scholarship, this duty is exceptionless. I describe the kernel of intellectual honesty as a virtuous disposition such that when presented with an incentive to deceive, the agent will not deceive. Intellectual honesty delivers candor when it counts. I contrast this with complementary virtues and the surpassing virtue of ingenuousness. An account is given of the connection between intellectual honesty and an influential physical model of integrity.
Journal Information
Synthese spans the topics of Epistemology, Methodology and Philosophy of Science. Coverage includes the theory of knowledge; general methodological problems of science, of induction and probability, of causation and the role of mathematics, statistics and logic in science; and the methodological and foundational problems of different sciences. The journal explores symbolic logic and foundations of mathematics relevant to the philosophy and methodology of science; and those facets of the ethics, history and sociology of science which are important for contemporary topical pursuits. The journal focuses on the role of mathematical, logical and linguistic methods in the general methodology of science and the foundations of different sciences. The journal includes a section on Knowledge, Rationality and Action as a platform for researchers. The scope of Knowledge, Rationality and Action is interdisciplinary: it will be of interest to researchers in the fields of artificial intelligence, agents, computer science, knowledge representation, game theory, economics, logic, philosophy, mathematics, cognitive science, cryptography, and auction theory, as well as to application specialists using formal and mathematical methods and tools.
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1 being in the habit of telling the truth
- at least the weatherman is honest and doesn't pretend to be able to predict the unpredictable
- candid,
- direct,
- forthcoming,
- forthright,
- foursquare,
- frank,
- freehearted,
- free-spoken,
- open,
- openhearted,
- out-front,
- outspoken,
- plain,
- plainspoken
- believable,
- credible,
- true,
- veritable
- artless,
- earnest,
- genuine,
- guileless,
- unaffected,
- unpretending,
- unpretentious
- conscientious,
- moral,
- principled,
- scrupulous
- aboveboard,
- dependable,
- reliable,
- trustable,
- trustworthy,
- trusty
- fallacious,
- false,
- untrue
- unbelievable,
- undependable,
- unreliable,
- unscrupulous,
- untrustworthy
- bluffing,
- dissembling,
- dissimulating,
- duplicitous,
- equivocating,
- hypocritical,
- insincere,
- posing,
- pretending
- artful,
- deceitful,
- deceptive,
- devious,
- evasive,
- slick,
- slippery,
- sly,
- sneaky,
- treacherous,
- tricky,
- underhanded,
- wily
2 conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue
- an area populated by honest and industrious farm folk
- all right,
- decent,
- ethical,
- good,
- honorable,
- just,
- moral,
- nice,
- right,
- right-minded,
- righteous,
- straight,
- true,
- upright,
- virtuous
- correct,
- decorous,
- proper,
- seemly
- high-minded,
- noble,
- principled
- commendable,
- creditable,
- exemplary,
- legitimate
- esteemed,
- law-abiding,
- menschy,
- reputable,
- respected,
- upstanding,
- worthy
- blameless,
- clean,
- guiltless,
- immaculate,
- incorrupt
- (also incorrupted),
- incorruptible,
- innocent,
- inoffensive,
- irreproachable,
- unobjectionable
- angelic
- (or angelical),
- lily-white,
- pure,
- scrupulous,
- spotless,
- uncorrupted,
- unerring
- goody-goody,
- moralistic,
- pharisaical,
- rectitudinous,
- sanctimonious,
- self-righteous
- improper,
- incorrect,
- indecorous,
- naughty,
- unbecoming,
- unseemly
- corrupt,
- debased,
- debauched,
- degenerate,
- depraved,
- dissolute,
- libertine,
- perverted,
- reprobate
- unprincipled,
- unscrupulous
- atrocious,
- infamous,
- villainous
- base,
- low,
- mean,
- vicious,
- vile
- blameworthy,
- objectionable,
- offensive
- iniquitous,
- nefarious
- errant,
- erring,
- fallen
- bad,
- dishonest,
- dishonorable,
- evil,
- evil-minded,
- immoral,
- indecent,
- sinful,
- unethical,
- unrighteous,
- wicked,
- wrong
3 following the accepted rules of moral conduct
- an honest customer who doesn't hesitate to tell the cashier she's given him too much change
- decent,
- ethical,
- honorable,
- just,
- noble,
- principled,
- respectable,
- righteous,
- stand-up,
- upright,
- upstanding
- blameless,
- guiltless,
- irreproachable,
- unassailable,
- unimpeachable
- chivalrous,
- classy,
- high-minded,
- menschy,
- right-minded
- conscientious,
- fair,
- good,
- incorruptible,
- moral,
- reputable,
- respected,
- scrupulous,
- uncorrupted,
- virtuous
- decorous,
- nice,
- polite,
- proper,
- seemly
- bad,
- blackguardly,
- corrupt,
- criminal,
- crooked,
- evil,
- immoral,
- iniquitous,
- knavish,
- mean,
- nefarious,
- rascally,
- reprehensible,
- roguish,
- rotten,
- scoundrelly,
- sinful
- unfair,
- unscrupulous,
- vile,
- villainous,
- wicked,
- wretched
- blamable,
- blameworthy,
- censurable,
- culpable
- debased,
- debauched,
- decadent,
- degenerate,
- degraded,
- demoralized,
- depraved,
- disgraceful,
- disreputable,
- dissipated,
- dissolute,
- libertine,
- loose,
- perverse,
- perverted,
- profligate,
- reprobate,
- shameful,
- venal
4 free from any intent to deceive or impress others
- the sort of person who helps others from an honest desire to do good
- artless,
- genuine,
- guileless,
- ingenuous,
- innocent,
- naive
- (or naïve),
- natural,
- real,
- simple,
- sincere,
- true,
- unaffected,
- unpretending,
- unpretentious
- childlike,
- dewy-eyed,
- gee-whiz,
- impressionable,
- inexperienced,
- malleable,
- persuadable,
- persuasible,
- simpleminded,
- unsophisticated,
- unworldly,
- wide-eyed
- spontaneous,
- unforced,
- unstudied
- candid,
- direct,
- frank,
- free,
- free-spoken,
- open,
- openhearted,
- plain,
- plainspoken,
- single-minded,
- straight,
- straightforward,
- unguarded
- trustful,
- trusting
- exploitable,
- gullible
- (also gullable),
- susceptible,
- unwary
- critical,
- cynical,
- mistrustful,
- skeptical,
- suspicious,
- wary
- cosmopolitan,
- sophisticated,
- worldly,
- worldly-wise
- civilized,
- cultivated,
- cultured,
- polished,
- refined
- crooked,
- deceitful,
- deceptive,
- devious,
- double-dealing,
- hypocritical,
- manipulative,
- two-faced
- arch,
- calculating,
- canny,
- crafty,
- cunning,
- designing,
- foxy,
- knavish,
- scheming,
- sharp,
- shifty,
- shrewd,
- slick,
- slippery,
- sly,
- subtle,
- tricky,
- underhanded,
- wily
- flattering,
- mealymouthed,
- smooth,
- sycophantic,
- unctuous
- feigned,
- forced,
- strained
- affected,
- artful,
- artificial,
- assuming,
- dishonest,
- dissembling,
- dissimulating,
- fake,
- false,
- guileful,
- insincere,
- phony
- (also phoney),
- pretentious
5 free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions
- appreciate your honest friends, who tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear
- candid,
- direct,
- forthcoming,
- forthright,
- foursquare,
- frank,
- free-spoken,
- freehearted,
- open,
- openhearted,
- out-front,
- outspoken,
- plain,
- plainspoken,
- straight,
- straightforward,
- unguarded,
- unreserved,
- up-front
- artless,
- earnest,
- guileless,
- ingenuous,
- innocent,
- naive
- (or naïve),
- natural,
- real,
- sincere,
- unaffected,
- undesigning,
- unpretending,
- unpretentious
- outgoing,
- uninhibited,
- unrestrained
- vocal,
- vociferous
- abrupt,
- bluff,
- blunt,
- brusque
- (also brusk),
- crusty,
- curt,
- gruff,
- sharp
- impertinent,
- impolite,
- inconsiderate,
- rude,
- tactless,
- thoughtless,
- uncivil,
- undiplomatic,
- ungracious,
- unmannerly,
- unsubtle
- inhibited,
- reserved,
- restrained
- close-mouthed,
- laconic,
- quiet,
- reticent,
- taciturn,
- tight-lipped,
- uncommunicative
- ambiguous,
- circuitous,
- equivocal,
- evasive
- diplomatic,
- politic,
- tactful
- civil,
- considerate,
- courteous,
- polite
6 guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong
- made an honest attempt to return the money she had found in the cafeteria
- decent,
- good,
- righteous,
- right-minded,
- straight,
- upright,
- virtuous
- dutiful,
- observant,
- respectful
- overconscientious
- reliable,
- responsible,
- solid,
- tried-and-true,
- true,
- trustworthy,
- trusty
- esteemed,
- law-abiding,
- reputable,
- respected,
- upstanding,
- worthy
- bad,
- evil,
- evil-minded,
- immoral,
- indecent,
- sinful,
- unrighteous,
- wicked
- unreliable,
- untrustworthy
- corrupt,
- debased,
- debauched,
- degenerate,
- depraved,
- dissolute,
- perverted,
- reprobate
- atrocious,
- infamous,
- villainous
- base,
- low,
- mean,
- vicious,
- vile
- iniquitous,
- nefarious
7 being exactly as appears or as claimed
- a restaurant serving honest down-home Southern cooking
- authentic,
- bona fide,
- certifiable,
- certified,
- dinkum
- [Australian & New Zealand],
- echt,
- genuine,
- pukka
- (also pucka),
- real,
- right,
- sure-enough,
- true
- actual,
- historical,
- original
- lawful,
- legal,
- legitimate
- identifiable,
- recognizable,
- verifiable
- proven,
- substantiated,
- validated,
- verified
- incontestable,
- incontrovertible,
- indisputable,
- indubitable,
- irrefutable,
- undeniable,
- undoubted,
- unmistakable,
- unquestionable
- veritable,
- very
- accurate,
- correct,
- proper
- pure,
- unadulterated,
- unalloyed
- artificial,
- factitious,
- imitation,
- man-made,
- simulated,
- synthetic,
- unnatural
- concocted,
- fabricated,
- manufactured
- deceptive,
- delusive,
- delusory,
- misleading
- bogus,
- counterfeit,
- fake,
- false,
- mock,
- phony
- (also phoney),
- pseudo,
- sham,
- spurious,
- suppositious,
- supposititious,
- unauthentic,
- unreal
See the Dictionary Definition