Even-handedness is a central skill in practising the Middle Way, which involves being clear about the extremes being avoided and treating them equally (rather than tilting to one side or another). This video offers 4 basic principles to support the practice of even-handedness. This video is tributary to no. 5 in this series, on agnosticism.

This is the 20th video in the Middle Way Philosophy introductory course.

Some suggested questions for reflection:

1. Which types are beliefs are you most likely to assume are intrinsically ‘extreme’?

2. Take a specific example of a belief of that type (e.g. part of an ideology you’re inclined to reject) and check that it is a clear absolute belief with an opposite. Can you see ways that the opposite can also be interpreted absolutely?

3. What sorts of practical reflections, in what sorts of contexts, would do most to help your judgements to be more even-handed?

Suggested further reading:

Middle Way Philosophy 4: The Integration of Belief, Section 4