Public defence in Industrial Engineering and Management, M.Sc.(Tech.) Jaakko Korhonen

Title of the thesis: Actively open-minded thinking within and beyond adopted frameworks: Investigations into thinking dispositions, openness to possibilities, and life-philosophical lecturing

Thesis defender: Jaakko Korhonen 
Opponent: Senior Lecturer, Docent Annika Svedholm-Häkkinen, University of Helsinki
Custos: Professor Frank Martela, Aalto University School of Science

In the research literature, actively open-minded thinking refers to thinking that seeks out and examines possibilities analytically and without prejudice. It involves the tendency to seek alternatives, acquire information to support decisions, consider evidence that contradicts preconceptions, and to change one's mind in response to new findings. This kind of thinking is important at the individual, community, and societal levels because it helps in making choices, achieving goals, and updating beliefs. Despite its importance, only a few studies have been published on its promotion.

The dissertation contributes to the discussion of the promotion of actively open-minded thinking theoretically and empirically. It presents conceptually six lines of inquiry and distinguishes two forms of actively open-minded thinking, examining how life-philosophical lecturing developed by philosopher Esa Saarinen enhances this thinking.
The work highlights the need to study sensitivity, inclination, and metacognition; to examine subject- and situation-specific differences; to take a more holistic approach, especially regarding the role of emotions; and to approach thinking as an interpersonal and collective phenomenon.

It is useful to conceptually distinguish two forms of actively open-minded thinking: one that takes place within an adopted framework, involving seeking and evaluating options based on the adopted premises and formulations of a problem, question, and situation, and the other beyond an adopted framework, involving evaluating, seeking, and adopting new premises and formulations that may arise from alternative vocabularies, metaphors, and ways of punctuating reality.

The study demonstrates that the analyzed life-philosophical lecture series by Esa Saarinen did enhance actively open-minded thinking both within and beyond adopted frameworks. The work examines how high-quality internal dialogue, combined with concepts and examples that support personal reflection, promotes actively open-minded thinking. It is shown how the six perspectives offered theoretically apply to the empirical data examined.

The dissertation contributes to the discussion of actively open-minded thinking and its promotion in an era where the opposite development threatens decision-making and even the foundations of democracy. The work is motivated by the need to foster environments that activate the abilities of open-minded thinking and promote tendencies to use it.

Keywords: actively open-minded thinking, thinking dispositions, life-philosophical lecturing, thinking about thinking, frameworks, problem formulation, problem resolution

Thesis available for public display 7 days prior to the defence at Aaltodoc. 

Contact information: jaakko.korhonen@aalto.fi or +358503600497