Open Mindedness as Engagement

Open-­-mindedness is an under-­-explored topic in virtue epistemology, despite its assumed importance for the field. Questions about it abound and need to be answered. For example, what sort of intellectual activities are central to it? Can one be open-­-minded about one's firmly held beliefs? Why should we strive to be open-­-minded? This paper aims to shed light on these and other pertinent issues. In particular, it proposes a view that construes open-­-mindedness as engagement, that is, a willingness to entertain novel ideas in one’s cognitive space and to accord them serious consideration.