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 48 / 90 (53.3%)
Accept or lean toward: no 26 / 90 (28.9%)
Other 16 / 90 (17.8%)

Abstract objects: Platonism or nominalism?

Accept or lean toward: nominalism 42 / 90 (46.7%)
Other 27 / 90 (30.0%)
Accept or lean toward: Platonism 21 / 90 (23.3%)

Aesthetic value: objective or subjective?

Accept or lean toward: subjective 46 / 90 (51.1%)
Accept or lean toward: objective 26 / 90 (28.9%)
Other 18 / 90 (20.0%)

Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes or no?

Accept or lean toward: yes 42 / 90 (46.7%)
Accept or lean toward: no 36 / 90 (40.0%)
Other 12 / 90 (13.3%)

Epistemic justification: internalism or externalism?

Other 36 / 90 (40.0%)
Accept or lean toward: externalism 34 / 90 (37.8%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 20 / 90 (22.2%)

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

Accept or lean toward: non-skeptical realism 72 / 90 (80.0%)
Other 11 / 90 (12.2%)
Accept or lean toward: idealism 4 / 90 (4.4%)
Accept or lean toward: skepticism 3 / 90 (3.3%)

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

Accept or lean toward: compatibilism 49 / 90 (54.4%)
Other 16 / 90 (17.8%)
Accept or lean toward: no free will 14 / 90 (15.6%)
Accept or lean toward: libertarianism 11 / 90 (12.2%)

God: theism or atheism?

Accept or lean toward: atheism 68 / 90 (75.6%)
Other 14 / 90 (15.6%)
Accept or lean toward: theism 8 / 90 (8.9%)

Knowledge claims: contextualism, relativism, or invariantism?

Accept or lean toward: contextualism 37 / 90 (41.1%)
Other 35 / 90 (38.9%)
Accept or lean toward: invariantism 14 / 90 (15.6%)
Accept or lean toward: relativism 4 / 90 (4.4%)

Knowledge: empiricism or rationalism?

Accept or lean toward: empiricism 49 / 90 (54.4%)
Other 28 / 90 (31.1%)
Accept or lean toward: rationalism 13 / 90 (14.4%)

Laws of nature: Humean or non-Humean?

Accept or lean toward: non-Humean 44 / 90 (48.9%)
Accept or lean toward: Humean 31 / 90 (34.4%)
Other 15 / 90 (16.7%)

Logic: classical or non-classical?

Accept or lean toward: classical 49 / 90 (54.4%)
Other 28 / 90 (31.1%)
Accept or lean toward: non-classical 13 / 90 (14.4%)

Mental content: internalism or externalism?

Other 38 / 90 (42.2%)
Accept or lean toward: externalism 34 / 90 (37.8%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 18 / 90 (20.0%)

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

Accept or lean toward: moral anti-realism 34 / 90 (37.8%)
Accept or lean toward: moral realism 32 / 90 (35.6%)
Other 24 / 90 (26.7%)

Metaphilosophy: naturalism or non-naturalism?

Accept or lean toward: naturalism 57 / 90 (63.3%)
Other 19 / 90 (21.1%)
Accept or lean toward: non-naturalism 14 / 90 (15.6%)

Mind: physicalism or non-physicalism?

Accept or lean toward: physicalism 61 / 90 (67.8%)
Other 17 / 90 (18.9%)
Accept or lean toward: non-physicalism 12 / 90 (13.3%)

Moral judgment: cognitivism or non-cognitivism?

Accept or lean toward: cognitivism 38 / 90 (42.2%)
Accept or lean toward: non-cognitivism 28 / 90 (31.1%)
Other 24 / 90 (26.7%)

Moral motivation: internalism or externalism?

Other 50 / 90 (55.6%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 22 / 90 (24.4%)
Accept or lean toward: externalism 18 / 90 (20.0%)

Newcomb's problem: one box or two boxes?

Other 48 / 90 (53.3%)
Accept or lean toward: two boxes 21 / 90 (23.3%)
Accept or lean toward: one box 21 / 90 (23.3%)

Normative ethics: deontology, consequentialism, or virtue ethics?

Other 32 / 90 (35.6%)
Accept or lean toward: consequentialism 30 / 90 (33.3%)
Accept or lean toward: virtue ethics 15 / 90 (16.7%)
Accept or lean toward: deontology 13 / 90 (14.4%)

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

Other 40 / 90 (44.4%)
Accept or lean toward: representationalism 33 / 90 (36.7%)
Accept or lean toward: qualia theory 8 / 90 (8.9%)
Accept or lean toward: disjunctivism 5 / 90 (5.6%)
Accept or lean toward: sense-datum theory 4 / 90 (4.4%)

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

Other 43 / 90 (47.8%)
Accept or lean toward: psychological view 21 / 90 (23.3%)
Accept or lean toward: biological view 17 / 90 (18.9%)
Accept or lean toward: further-fact view 9 / 90 (10.0%)

Politics: communitarianism, egalitarianism, or libertarianism?

Other 37 / 90 (41.1%)
Accept or lean toward: egalitarianism 24 / 90 (26.7%)
Accept or lean toward: libertarianism 16 / 90 (17.8%)
Accept or lean toward: communitarianism 13 / 90 (14.4%)

Proper names: Fregean or Millian?

Other 42 / 90 (46.7%)
Accept or lean toward: Fregean 28 / 90 (31.1%)
Accept or lean toward: Millian 20 / 90 (22.2%)

Science: scientific realism or scientific anti-realism?

Accept or lean toward: scientific realism 60 / 90 (66.7%)
Accept or lean toward: scientific anti-realism 16 / 90 (17.8%)
Other 14 / 90 (15.6%)

Teletransporter (new matter): survival or death?

Other 34 / 90 (37.8%)
Accept or lean toward: survival 31 / 90 (34.4%)
Accept or lean toward: death 25 / 90 (27.8%)

Time: A-theory or B-theory?

Accept or lean toward: B-theory 40 / 90 (44.4%)
Other 35 / 90 (38.9%)
Accept or lean toward: A-theory 15 / 90 (16.7%)

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 51 / 90 (56.7%)
Other 38 / 90 (42.2%)
Accept or lean toward: don't switch 1 / 90 (1.1%)

Truth: correspondence, deflationary, or epistemic?

Accept or lean toward: correspondence 44 / 90 (48.9%)
Accept or lean toward: deflationary 26 / 90 (28.9%)
Other 10 / 90 (11.1%)
Accept or lean toward: epistemic 10 / 90 (11.1%)

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

Other 29 / 90 (32.2%)
Accept or lean toward: conceivable but not metaphysically possible 27 / 90 (30.0%)
Accept or lean toward: inconceivable 18 / 90 (20.0%)
Accept or lean toward: metaphysically possible 16 / 90 (17.8%)

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