ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the traits of quitting, procrastinating, and slacking off, which are different ways to lack the trait of intellectual perseverance (IP). It explores what makes the traits of quitting, procrastinating, and slacking off intellectual vices when they are. The chapter draws on recent work in virtue epistemology to provide an account of IP. The Aristotelian virtue of IP requires good judgment about when to persevere with respect to a goal and when to abandon the goal. Good judgment reins in excess-it prevents agents from staying the course when they should quit. The trait of procrastination is arguably a disposition to intentionally delay acting in pursuit of intellectual goals that one believes one should be actively pursuing. Complacency and resignation arguably involve over-estimating and under-estimating (respectively) one’s intellectual strengths.
