Introduction: A research program for social virtue epistemology

In recent decades, philosophers have developed a rich conceptual framework for thinking about individual epistemic virtue in general, as well as discrete epistemic virtues like open-mindedness, curiosity, intellectual humility, and intellectual courage. Social virtue epistemology opens up possibility that there are unexpected or unexplored virtues and vices that individuals might exhibit. There are a variety of ways in which individuals might systematically contribute to, or detract from, their epistemic environment. While traditional virtue theory focused on individuals, there has been an increased interest in virtues and vices that can be attributed to whole groups, over and above those that are merely possessed by their individual members. Getting other people to stop trusting reliable sources and to plug themselves into amplifiers of fake news and conspiracy theories is practice often employed by sexual harassers and abusers, perpetrators of financial and academic fraud, and other epistemically malign actors. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.