As a lawyer I have an overriding duty as an officer of the court. Such a duty carries with it the “absolute duty of honesty to the court”, including the duty to put “all relevant and significant law known to the lawyer before the court, whether this material supports the client’s case or not.” Looking at both (or multiple) sides of an argument is second nature to me – as a lawyer, the consequences of failing to understand the opponents case can be devastating, thus I work hard to ensure that the arguments I make are intellectually honest.
This does not mean that the arguments/positions I make/advance are universally accepted. On the contrary, I often hold positions and make arguments that a lot of people disagree with. What I do not do is make unsubstantiated and alarmist assertions. The power of an argument does not lie in how many people make it or how loud. It lies in its inherent truth. When presented with contradicting evidence I know that I need to acknowledge this else my own arguments will be destroyed.
One of the best expositions of intellectual honesty is provided over at Liberal Revolt. The ten guidelines of intellectual honesty are:
1: Do not overstate the power of your argument;
2: Show a willingness to publicly acknowledge that reasonable alternative viewpoints exist;
3: Be willing to publicly acknowledge and question one’s own assumptions and biases;
4: Be willing to publicly acknowledge where your argument is weak;
5: Be willing to publicly acknowledge when you are wrong;
6: Demonstrate consistency;
7: Address the argument instead of attacking the person making the argument;
8: When addressing an argument, do not misrepresent it;
9: Show a commitment to critical thinking;
10: Be willing to publicly acknowledge when a point or criticism is good.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that following these 10 guidelines are difficult all the time, and even at the best of times. What is important is making the commitment to being intellectual honest in everything we do.
Do you follow these guidelines? Leave a comment below and let me know how they work for you.
