MSU Provost series returns with talk on thinking critically in era of volatile opinions
From MSU News Service
Looking for some advice on how to negotiate those contentious family holiday dinner conversations? Philosopher Kristen Intemann might provide some key insights at the year’s first Montana State University Provost’s Distinguished Lecturer Series lecture. “Believing Responsibly in an Era of Fake News, Attacks on Science and Alternative Facts,” is set for 7pm Tuesday, September 17th, at the Museum of the Rockies.
Intemann believes there’s universality in the topic during a time of volatile opinions on such issues as gun control, biomedical ethics, vaccinations, abortion and political beliefs, to name a few.
“In general, it’s hard to live anywhere now and not be exposed to people with other views,” she said. She added that humans align with people who share values and ideas we agree with, so tribalism affects us all.
“We are reluctant to change beliefs even in the face of new evidence. We want to keep evidence we agree with and ignore evidence that goes against it, for example. That is true of everyone regardless of their side of the political aisle.”
But unlike most people, Intemann, a professor of philosophy in the Department of History and Philosophy in the College of Letters and Science, is trained in logic and ethics. Philosophy is not a dusty field filled with esoteric ideas, she said. Rather it is about critical thinking and competent analysis.
“What constitutes evidence and how much evidence do we need to believe things? Those are the questions that philosophers think about and are trained to analyze.”
Calling philosophy “a skill set,” Intemann hopes to borrow the toolbox to pass along some constructive ideas about making decisions given conflicting information. For instance, Intemann emphasizes the importance of responsible critical thinking rather than reacting emotionally to ideas that differ from our own. She also will talk about analyzing the reliability of information sources.
“I don’t see my job as telling people what they ought to believe, but to build the skills of critical thinking and a constructive conversation about hard issues,” she said. “I tend to assume people are intelligent and thoughtful in forming their opinions.”
One component of responsible thinking is to be skeptical, she said. Her definition of skeptical analysis does not include being dismissive to other opinions.
“People who are skeptical are trying to be rational. Responsible thinking is not to reject everything just for the sake of rejecting it.”
And yet another tool that can be used to weigh facts is the recognition of cognitive bias, which describes how people tend to give more weight to opinions that cohere with our own beliefs.
Intemann said her journey into philosophy began growing up as “one of those kids that always asked why.” A native of Iowa, she said her large, blended family, which included all income levels and professions, ranging from academics to car mechanics, provided insights into a diversity of opinions.
“The people I love and care about have different views and diverse political beliefs. I think many families are like that,” she said.
Her first degree, at the University of Iowa, was in philosophy and political science where “her first passion” was political philosophy and ethics. In graduate school at the University of Washington, where she earned her doctorate, she gravitated to the intersection of ethics and science. At MSU, where she has been an award-winning professor since 2005, she is the director of the MSU Initiative for Science, Technology, Ethics and Society, dedicated to the discussion of knowledge and ethical and social issues affecting the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Intemann said the goals of the initiative are three-fold: to conduct research, improve ethics education in STEM majors and to engage the public in discussions about science and how it will impact society. Created with a three-year grant from the office of the MSU Vice President of Research, Economic Development and Graduate Education, the initiative plans a speaker series, a film series and presentation of student projects. Other MSU professors involved represent the breadth of campus and include Michael Reidy, history; Beth Burroughs, math; Blake Wiedenheft, microbiology and immunology; Brock LaMeres, electrical and computer engineering; and Maryann Cummings, computer science.
Nic Rae, dean of the College of Letters and Science, said that Intemann’s expertise enriches the community.
“Dr. Intemann is an outstanding philosopher and an internationally recognized authority on the topic of science and public opinion,” Rae said. “Thanks to her efforts MSU is well placed to become a center of excellence for the study of science, technology and ethics.”
And if there is one thing that Intemann hopes to accomplish at the lecture, it is to have the audience leave with a deeper appreciation for philosophy and its applications.
“Philosophy is … more about critical thinking and competent analysis than it is about esoteric ideas,” she said. “I like to think everyone is a philosopher.”
The Provost’s Distinguished Lecturer Series, which is free and open to the public, recognizes faculty distinguished at MSU for their scholarship and creativity. Faculty presenting during the series will reflect on the inspirations for their work in lectures suited for professionals and lay people alike. For more information, contact the MSU Office of the Provost at (406) 994-4371 or provost@montana.edu. •