Post-truth and science identity: A virtue-based approach to science education

Abstract

Post-truth trades on the corruption of argument and evidence to protect ideological commitment and social identity. We distinguish two kinds of post-truth environments, epistemic bubbles and echo chambers, and argue that facets of post-truth are countered the more science (and general) education encourages the development of intellectual virtues and internalization of science identity. After first locating our perspective on intellectual virtues within virtue epistemology and Aristotelian virtue theory, we argue that intellectual character is strongly metacognitive and requires a concept of science identity to provide a motivational force to the work of virtues. Our educational response to post-truth focuses on Aristotelian-inspired pedagogy for teaching virtues, metacognitive virtue strategies, and the development of science identity. The internalization of science identity is further developed in terms of moral education and Self-Determination Theory. We suggest further lines of theory and research and conclude that science education is in the business of character education.

Acknowledgments

This article benefited from the constructive editorial comments of Sarit Barzilai and Clark Chinn and three anonymous reviewers. We are grateful for the careful attention that was afforded our manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Our work was supported by a generous grant of the John Templeton Foundation [58404].