In his work, Medina mentions that epistemic virtues and vices are expected to reflect unique properties of an individual and can be used to evaluate or characterize them, respectively. The identified assumption suggests that virtues and vices can be fostered in an individual and acquired under appropriate circumstances. According to Medina, the idea of virtue, when viewed through an epistemic lens, implies the consistent focus on knowledge and learning. The specified point of view can be justified by the assumption that knowledge can be used for improving one’s personality and the environment, in general, thus, contributing massively to the enhancement of relationships between individuals and leading to well-being on a global scale. Vices, however, are not intrinsic, either, according to Medina. These can be acquired due to specific experiences and cause one to experience unhappiness. Furthermore, epistemic vices as the refusal from acquiring knowledge and developing a better understanding of people and the world entails close-mindedness and the following problems. Thus, the active promotion of knowledge is deemed as the primary goal according to Medina’s philosophical postulates.
When considering the people who are most representative of the idea of epistemic virtues, one should mention the Lorraine Code, which promoted the concept of epistemological virtues and introduced the concept of epistemological responsibility to the theory. The philosopher utilized a collection of epistemological virtue principles to promote knowledge acquisition and encourage consistent development. Due to his contribution to philosophy, the concept of responsibility and, therefore, a better understanding of an individual’s place in society based on the premises of the theory was developed.
Also, one could claim that Aristotle embodied epistemological virtues since he emphasized the significance of knowledge as the driving force behind the development of the human race. Aristotle’s works place a powerful emphasis on the need to build a profound system of knowledge that would lead humankind to the ultimate intellectual flourishing. Consequently, Aristotle’s philosophy can be regarded as the prerequisite to the theory of epistemic virtues.