The Excellent Mind: Intellectual Virtues for Everyday Life

Nathan L. King's The Excellent Mind considers the importance of the intellectual virtues: the character traits of excellent thinkers. He explains what it means to have an excellent mind: one that is curious, careful, self-reliant, humble, honest, persevering, courageous, open, firm, and wise. He shows how the intellectual virtues are critical to living everyday life. They are deeply intertwined with moral virtues, and our intellectual character guides our actions and beliefs. The book is thoroughly accessible and designed for students, not just in philosophy and critical thinking classes, but across the curriculum.

Nathan L. King, Professor of Philosophy, Whitworth University

Nathan L. King is Professor of Philosophy at Whitworth University. His research interests include intellectual character, the epistemology of disagreement, and the philosophy of education. His work has appeared in such journals as Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Philosophical Quarterly, and Synthese.