Open-mindedness

We intend Open-mindedness as the Latin ‘curiositas’.

It is not for allowing into our skull whatever idea is available that we like human minds to be open. We interpret OPEN-MINDEDNESS as a real philosophical property and not a mechanical function: <open> and <close>. Therefore, this property is complex in times when we witness a strong trend towards closeness, self-protection, reticence, distrust and suspicion.

Open-mindedness is, more than all, “receptiveness” to new ideas and positions. It regards people’s approach to the views of the others. Jason Baehr defines an ‘open-minded person’ as one who “characteristically moves beyond or temporarily sets aside his own doxastic commitments in order to give a fair and impartial hearing to the intellectual opposition“. Jack Kwong‘s definition sees open-mindedness as the “willingness to take a novel viewpoint seriously“.

We intend Open-mindedness as the Latin 'curiositas'.

We intend Open-mindedness as the Latin ‘curiositas’. The function of OPEN-MINDEDNESS is to render people ready at taking into consideration different views, interpretations and explanations. But it does not mean “immediately incorporating”  those different views or “agreeing with” them. In short, it is an open door. Nonetheless, the open-minded person could close the door i.e. disagree with the other’s views, after fair consideration.

OPEN-MINDEDNESS is the indispensable basis of curiosity, attention, alertness, READINESS and CARE. All progresses made by mankind are, in one way or another, related to this attribution.


This is Sokratiko’s way to interpret the notion of OPEN-MINDEDNESS. Please continue to browse our list of philosophical TOPICS by clicking on the other entries of our list.