Being Open-Minded about Open-Mindedness

Khorasanee, Kasim

Abstract

Within the field of virtue and vice epistemology open-mindedness is usually considered an archetypal virtue. Nevertheless, there is ongoing disagreement over how exactly it should be defined. In this paper I propose a novel definition of open-mindedness as a process of impartial belief revision and use it to argue that we should shift our normative assessments away from the trait itself to the context in which it is exercised. My definition works by three sequential stages: not screening new claims, impartially weighing the evidential strength of claims, and updating beliefs accordingly. Using this definition I argue for a focus on agents’ particular circumstances to determine what degrees of credulity, open-, or closed-mindedness are appropriate in any given situation. As well as providing conceptual clarity regarding the concept of open-mindedness this paper indicates the benefits of this contextual approach for our everyday epistemic attitudes. In particular it enables us to recognise, without stigma, when ourselves or others deviate from open-mindedness for appropriate reasons.

Citation

Khorasanee, K. (2024). Being Open-Minded about Open-Mindedness. Philosophy, 99(2), 191-221. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031819123000396

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 19, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Feb 20, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-04
• Deposit Date: Nov 8, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 8, 2024
• Journal: Philosophy
• Print ISSN: 0031-8191
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-817X
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 99
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 191-221
• ISBN: 0031-8191
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031819123000396
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/41553933
• Publisher URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/philosophy
• Additional Information: Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Royal Institute of Philosophy; License: This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.; Free to read: This content has been made available to all.