compelling evidence to enable me to come to a firm view but while this might seem a
reasonable expectation in some cases it may be that there are other instances where the
evidence is set to remain contestable. As such I remain open to the possibility that any
firm view I might have about the matter will be one based on something other than
compelling evidence and furthermore will be held with a recognition that there is little,
if any, possibility of resolution by evidence or argument.
iv) I have given attention to the matter and the information is such that I can come to a
firm view, but at the same time I accept that there may be a need to return to Ui) above
from time to time in the light of new evidence.
Here I have come to hold a firm view based on evidence and/or argument, that is to say
I am committed to a firm view. For example, iff firmly believe, based on what I
perceive to be a set of convincing arguments, that prisoners should be treated in the way
outlined earlier, I will also be committed to the possibility that this firm belief might be
wrong. I therefore remain committed to the possibility that, at some future time, I might
be presented with an argument or with some evidence that would convince me that I am
(was) wrong to hold this particular belief.
It should be noted that this taxonomy is not an attempt to categorise how people come
to hold firm beliefs in general, rather it is presented to illustrate four different but
legitimate and everyday meanings of open-mindedness. It is clear that individuals do
come to hold firm beliefs for many different sorts of reasons only some of which relate
to what has been said so far about open-mindedness.
Hare's definition seems to encompass each of these four possibilities and I take it that to
be open-minded in this way is a requirement for autonomy. Thus it is possible to hold a
firm belief while at the same time remain open to the possibility that that firm belief
may subsequently be in need of revision.
Being open-minded
So if I am to be open-minded I can be both committed to a view but open to the
possibility that I may be wrong; that is open to revising my firmly held views on the
basis of evidence and/or argument. It should not be forgotten that Hare's definition
includes the forming as well as the revising of opinion. Thus it includes what might be
described as having an open-mind (i-iii above) as well as being open-minded (zv above).
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