Closed-mindedness as a Defensible Fortress of Mind
Closed-mindedness is typically understood as an epistemic vice. The thought is that given competing viewpoints, positions, ideas, or beliefs, we (epistemically) should have a willingness to engage with viewpoints that differ from our own. But given the noxious outcomes of certain ideological perspectives, are there cases where we should be closed-minded? In this talk I will explore cases of closed-mindedness that appear (epistemically) acceptable. I will sketch a view where the ideas that are acceptable to be closed-minded about are those that are irrelevant to our inquiries. This view will have important implications for inquiry given noxious ideological structures, including echo chambers.