ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the importance of having an open mind to the democratic process, i.e., the importance of being open to different ways of understanding the world, to looking at issues from different perspectives, and to changing one’s mind. Without a willingness to change one’s mind, there is no point in having a democratic conversation, as the essence of this type of conversation is that one seeks to engage in a joint exploration of social issues to come to co-created solutions. The chapter examines the role a multidisciplinary curriculum can play in fostering such an attitude of openness. It shows that students feel that being exposed to many different disciplines makes them realise that there are many sides to political and scientific issues, and this makes them willing to be surprised in thinking about problems, promoting open-mindedness.
