Are You Open Minded?

Open-mindedness is a cardinal virtue of an “enlightened” culture. The assumption, of course, is that a closed mind is unable to discover any truth that it doesn’t already possess. Education implies that we need to learn. Close-minded people would forever shut themselves off from any chance of learning.

As a Christian I certainly understand the value of an open mind. Jesus Christ left us with a mandate to persuade others that He is the Savior. If people were always close-minded, no one would ever convert to faith in Christ. It takes an open mind to seriously consider the claims of Christ. Only someone who is close-minded would refuse to consider the veracity of the Christian message. In fact, if you’re a Christian, you were converted through an open mind. You were willing to put aside your pre-conceived notions about Christ and Christianity long enough to reconsider your own spiritual condition.

It isn’t only non-Christians, however, who need to have an open mind. Christians can be just as close-minded as anyone else. We are sometimes close-minded about other cultures, races, or anything that breaks with our traditions. Open-mindedness is a good thing.

Yet, I’m a bit confused by the veneration of open-mindedness in our day. We practically worship the idea of an open mind. It seems that the current expectation is to have minds that are perpetually open. We aren’t supposed to close it on anything. We are told that one person’s opinion is just as good as the next so we ought to keep an open mind. Open-mindedness is important because it is impossible to gain knowledge without it. Yet, most intellectuals these days are very cynical about the possibility of true knowledge. If true knowledge is not possible, why keep an open mind?

In his Life’s Ultimate Questions, philosopher Ronald Nash paraphrases a part of Socrates’ discussion with Protagoras as it appears in Plato’s Theatetus. Protagoras thinks that everyone’s opinions or beliefs are equally valid.

Socrates: "So you believe that each man's opinion is as good as anyone else’s."

Protagoras: "That's correct."

Socrates: "How do you make a living?

Protagoras: "I am a teacher."

Socrates: "I find this very puzzling. You admit you earn money teaching, but I cannot imagine what you could possibly teach anyone. After all, you admit that each person's opinion is as good as anyone else's. This means that what your students believe is as good as anything you could possibly teach them.”

Notice that Socrates points out that if every man’s opinion is as good as anyone else’s then the whole point of education is meaningless. And yet an open mind is only beneficial if there is something to learn. But if what I believe is as valid as the beliefs of my high school teacher or college professor, why have an open mind, let alone keep it open.

We live in a Protagorean culture. On the one hand we are told that everyone’s beliefs and opinions are equal. Yet, on the other hand we are told that we should always keep an open mind. Like Socrates, I think these two notions are incompatible. In his Socrates Meets Jesus, philosopher Peter Kreeft imagines a dialogue between Socrates and Bertha Broadmind. Broadmind, as the name implies, takes great pride in her open mind.

Socrates: "Then the only thing you want to know is truth: the truth about truth and the truth about falsehood, but not the falsehood about either. Isn’t that right?"

Bertha: "Yes."

Socrates: "Then we have the same definition of open-mindedness and its purpose. Just as an open mouth is a means to the end of closing it on good food, but not poison, and an open door is a means to enable a desired guest to enter, but not a robber, so an open mind is a means to the end of learning the truth about everything, not falsehoods.

Bertha: "I can’t refute you, Socrates."

Socrates: "Say rather that you can’t refute the truth. Socrates you can refute, and should, whenever I do not speak the truth.”

Open-mindedness is only useful if there is truth. An open door is only useful if there are friends who want to enter and not criminals. An open mouth is only useful if there is healthy food available and not poison. But these are distinctions between good and bad. Our culture doesn't like to make such delineations. Bad ideas? Wrong beliefs? Such ideas are anathema in a politically correct climate that worships diversity.

The Protagoreans of our culture must change their view that all beliefs and opinions are equally valid or give up their idolatrous and ignorant commitment to open-mindedness. If Protagorean relativism is true, each person already has all the truth he/she needs. Protagorean or Berthean relativism ought to result in CLOSE-MINDEDNESS since the relativist already possesses truth and he believes that your truth is only true for you! What could you possibly contribute to his knowledge?

Don’t be misled. An open mind IS a virtue because not everyone’s opinion is equally valid. Some ideas and beliefs are just plain false. There is truth outside us yet to be learned; real truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the Truth, and the life. (John 14:6 NASB) So have an open mind! And when you find the truth, close your mind on it... or your brains may fall out.

The viability of Christianity is that it concurs with our human experience that an open mind is a virtue. It has a transcendent, non-arbitrary foundation that serves as the source of real truth and knowledge: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Real knowledge is possible. We are finite and God is infinite, therefore, there is far more knowledge to gain than we currently possess. Yet, it also recognizes the value and necessity of a closed mind. If real truth is out there, when we find it, we must close our mind around it.

The bankruptcy of Secularism is that it cannot provide an objective standard from which to expect objective truth. It has an arbitrary, subjective standard rooted in the capricious speculations of society; the likes of which gave us the naturalism and materialism that leads to epistemological determinism and skepticism. Secularism insists open-mindedness is important, yet espouses an antithetical epistemological relativism. If knowledge is relative, then open-mindedness is naive.