4 ANXIETIES ABOUT OPEN-MINDEDNESS - REASSURING GARDNER,PETER

In this article four anxieties expressed by Peter Gardner about our co nception of open-mindedness and its educational implications are exami ned. It is argued that none of Gardner's anxieties undermine our view that open-mindedness requires neither neutrality nor indecision with r espect to a matter in question, bur rather that open-mindedness is com patible with holding of beliefs and commitments about such matters pro vided that the beliefs and commitments are formed and held in such a w ay that they are open to revision in the light of evidence and argumen t.