The PhilPapers SurveysPreliminary Survey results (Back to contents)

Note: set response grain to "fine" for details on "other" responses.

Population  AOS Response details

A priori knowledge: yes or no?

Accept or lean toward: yes 41 / 59 (69.5%)
Accept or lean toward: no 15 / 59 (25.4%)
Other 3 / 59 (5.1%)

Abstract objects: Platonism or nominalism?

Accept or lean toward: Platonism 33 / 59 (55.9%)
Accept or lean toward: nominalism 15 / 59 (25.4%)
Other 11 / 59 (18.6%)

Aesthetic value: objective or subjective?

Accept or lean toward: objective 25 / 59 (42.4%)
Accept or lean toward: subjective 22 / 59 (37.3%)
Other 12 / 59 (20.3%)

Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes or no?

Accept or lean toward: yes 35 / 59 (59.3%)
Accept or lean toward: no 20 / 59 (33.9%)
Other 4 / 59 (6.8%)

Epistemic justification: internalism or externalism?

Accept or lean toward: externalism 30 / 59 (50.8%)
Other 17 / 59 (28.8%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 12 / 59 (20.3%)

External world: idealism, skepticism, or non-skeptical realism?

Accept or lean toward: non-skeptical realism 46 / 59 (78.0%)
Other 7 / 59 (11.9%)
Accept or lean toward: skepticism 4 / 59 (6.8%)
Accept or lean toward: idealism 2 / 59 (3.4%)

Free will: compatibilism, libertarianism, or no free will?

Accept or lean toward: compatibilism 33 / 59 (55.9%)
Other 11 / 59 (18.6%)
Accept or lean toward: libertarianism 8 / 59 (13.6%)
Accept or lean toward: no free will 7 / 59 (11.9%)

God: theism or atheism?

Accept or lean toward: atheism 42 / 59 (71.2%)
Accept or lean toward: theism 11 / 59 (18.6%)
Other 6 / 59 (10.2%)

Knowledge claims: contextualism, relativism, or invariantism?

Accept or lean toward: contextualism 25 / 59 (42.4%)
Other 18 / 59 (30.5%)
Accept or lean toward: invariantism 12 / 59 (20.3%)
Accept or lean toward: relativism 4 / 59 (6.8%)

Knowledge: empiricism or rationalism?

Accept or lean toward: empiricism 22 / 59 (37.3%)
Accept or lean toward: rationalism 21 / 59 (35.6%)
Other 16 / 59 (27.1%)

Laws of nature: Humean or non-Humean?

Accept or lean toward: non-Humean 29 / 59 (49.2%)
Accept or lean toward: Humean 23 / 59 (39.0%)
Other 7 / 59 (11.9%)

Logic: classical or non-classical?

Accept or lean toward: classical 26 / 59 (44.1%)
Accept or lean toward: non-classical 17 / 59 (28.8%)
Other 16 / 59 (27.1%)

Mental content: internalism or externalism?

Accept or lean toward: externalism 27 / 59 (45.8%)
Other 19 / 59 (32.2%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 13 / 59 (22.0%)

Meta-ethics: moral realism or moral anti-realism?

Accept or lean toward: moral realism 30 / 59 (50.8%)
Accept or lean toward: moral anti-realism 23 / 59 (39.0%)
Other 6 / 59 (10.2%)

Metaphilosophy: naturalism or non-naturalism?

Accept or lean toward: naturalism 32 / 59 (54.2%)
Accept or lean toward: non-naturalism 19 / 59 (32.2%)
Other 8 / 59 (13.6%)

Mind: physicalism or non-physicalism?

Accept or lean toward: physicalism 27 / 59 (45.8%)
Accept or lean toward: non-physicalism 21 / 59 (35.6%)
Other 11 / 59 (18.6%)

Moral judgment: cognitivism or non-cognitivism?

Accept or lean toward: cognitivism 34 / 59 (57.6%)
Accept or lean toward: non-cognitivism 13 / 59 (22.0%)
Other 12 / 59 (20.3%)

Moral motivation: internalism or externalism?

Other 37 / 59 (62.7%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 12 / 59 (20.3%)
Accept or lean toward: externalism 10 / 59 (16.9%)

Newcomb's problem: one box or two boxes?

Other 24 / 59 (40.7%)
Accept or lean toward: two boxes 20 / 59 (33.9%)
Accept or lean toward: one box 15 / 59 (25.4%)

Normative ethics: deontology, consequentialism, or virtue ethics?

Other 18 / 59 (30.5%)
Accept or lean toward: deontology 15 / 59 (25.4%)
Accept or lean toward: consequentialism 13 / 59 (22.0%)
Accept or lean toward: virtue ethics 13 / 59 (22.0%)

Perceptual experience: disjunctivism, qualia theory, representationalism, or sense-datum theory?

Other 35 / 59 (59.3%)
Accept or lean toward: representationalism 17 / 59 (28.8%)
Accept or lean toward: disjunctivism 4 / 59 (6.8%)
Accept or lean toward: qualia theory 3 / 59 (5.1%)

Personal identity: biological view, psychological view, or further-fact view?

Other 24 / 59 (40.7%)
Accept or lean toward: psychological view 21 / 59 (35.6%)
Accept or lean toward: biological view 9 / 59 (15.3%)
Accept or lean toward: further-fact view 5 / 59 (8.5%)

Politics: communitarianism, egalitarianism, or libertarianism?

Other 29 / 59 (49.2%)
Accept or lean toward: egalitarianism 15 / 59 (25.4%)
Accept or lean toward: communitarianism 9 / 59 (15.3%)
Accept or lean toward: libertarianism 6 / 59 (10.2%)

Proper names: Fregean or Millian?

Accept or lean toward: Millian 21 / 59 (35.6%)
Accept or lean toward: Fregean 21 / 59 (35.6%)
Other 17 / 59 (28.8%)

Science: scientific realism or scientific anti-realism?

Accept or lean toward: scientific realism 41 / 59 (69.5%)
Accept or lean toward: scientific anti-realism 13 / 59 (22.0%)
Other 5 / 59 (8.5%)

Teletransporter (new matter): survival or death?

Other 32 / 59 (54.2%)
Accept or lean toward: death 15 / 59 (25.4%)
Accept or lean toward: survival 12 / 59 (20.3%)

Time: A-theory or B-theory?

Other 33 / 59 (55.9%)
Accept or lean toward: B-theory 17 / 59 (28.8%)
Accept or lean toward: A-theory 9 / 59 (15.3%)

Trolley problem (five straight ahead, one on side track, turn requires switching, what ought one do?): switch or don't switch?

Accept or lean toward: switch 32 / 59 (54.2%)
Other 22 / 59 (37.3%)
Accept or lean toward: don't switch 5 / 59 (8.5%)

Truth: correspondence, deflationary, or epistemic?

Accept or lean toward: correspondence 27 / 59 (45.8%)
Accept or lean toward: deflationary 17 / 59 (28.8%)
Other 10 / 59 (16.9%)
Accept or lean toward: epistemic 5 / 59 (8.5%)

Zombies: inconceivable, conceivable but not metaphysically possible, or metaphysically possible?

Other 18 / 59 (30.5%)
Accept or lean toward: metaphysically possible 18 / 59 (30.5%)
Accept or lean toward: conceivable but not metaphysically possible 15 / 59 (25.4%)
Accept or lean toward: inconceivable 8 / 59 (13.6%)

Back to contents