Philosophical Inquiry and Controversial Views

Abstract Should philosophers explore or engage with controversial and harmful views? This paper argues that this question can benefit from the literature on open‐mindedness in virtue epistemology and moral psychology. In particular, it shows that framing the question in terms of open‐mindedness is apt because open‐mindedness's dual nature as both an intellectual and a moral virtue makes it an especially appropriate and valuable tool for addressing a debate that is concerned with the potential moral harms of philosophical inquiry . Such a framing, the paper contends, is also fruitful because the literature on open‐mindedness contains important insights that are germane to the question of whether philosophers should inquire into harmful views, including considerations revolving around expertise and the mitigation of epistemic and moral danger, division of cognitive labor, and appropriate conditions for inquiry.