My philosophical views

The answers shown here are not necessarily the same provided as part of the 2009 PhilPapers Survey. These answers can be updated at any time.

See also:

QuestionAnswerComments
A priori knowledge: yes or no?OtherYes, but only of trivial (logical) truths. And also trivial (logical) truths can only be known a priori.
Abstract objects: Platonism or nominalism?Lean toward: nominalism
Aesthetic value: objective or subjective?Accept: subjective
Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes or no?Accept: yes
Epistemic justification: internalism or externalism?OtherOnce again whether to adopt an internalist or externalist view about knowledge will depend on knowledge of what. If it is scientific knowledge then an externalist view, if knowledge of the truth of moral claims then an internalist view (although if the foundational metaphysical position is that of moral realism then I think moral knowledge should be externalist and be shown to be untenable).
External world: idealism, skepticism, or non-skeptical realism?Lean toward: skepticism
Free will: compatibilism, libertarianism, or no free will?Lean toward: libertarianismMy 'leaning'here is pre-philosophical only. In terms of philosophical positions, to choose here, given how philosophers would justify their choice, seems like a metaphysical (speculative) commitment which is best left unattended.
God: theism or atheism?Accept: atheismI accept atheism but also accept that this position is probably as difficult to rationally/empirically justify as theism. It is therefore a belief held by me, which is epistemically challenged.
Knowledge: empiricism or rationalism?Accept: empiricism
Knowledge claims: contextualism, relativism, or invariantism?OtherGiven the wide range of types of knowledge claims (e.g claims about electrons and claims about moral value) there is certainly not just epistemological position that can or should answer questions about knowledge. So, for instance, relativism only applies sometimes. And so on.
Laws of nature: Humean or non-Humean?Accept: HumeanDefinitely Humean - provided that his view is read as an epistemological position (i.e. skepticism) and not metaphysical.
Logic: classical or non-classical?Accept bothI think the choice between classical and non-classical systems (of logic and knowledge) are dependent on context and the area of investigation. I do not think such systems are warranted in such a manner as to provide absolute organisation for our thought and knowledge seeking enterprises. The choice of one over another is a pragmatic and/or conventionalist issue.
Mental content: internalism or externalism?OtherTo choose between internalism and externalism, given how philosophers would justify their choice, seems like a metaphysical (speculative) commitment which is best left unattended.
Meta-ethics: moral realism or moral anti-realism?Accept: moral anti-realism
Metaphilosophy: naturalism or non-naturalism?Lean toward: non-naturalism
Mind: physicalism or non-physicalism?Lean toward: physicalismMy 'leaning'here is pre-philosophical only. In terms of philosophical positions, to choose between physicalism and a non-physicalism, given how philosophers would justify their choice, seems like a metaphysical (speculative) commitment which is best left unattended.
Moral judgment: cognitivism or non-cognitivism?Accept: non-cognitivism
Moral motivation: internalism or externalism?Accept: internalism
Newcomb's problem: one box or two boxes?Insufficiently familiar with the issueI am not entirely convinced by the usefulness of thought experiments, so have tended to avoid literature which strongly requires these for argumentative purposes. Perhaps this is an oversight on my part. Not sure.
Normative ethics: deontology, consequentialism, or virtue ethics?Lean toward: deontology
Perceptual experience: disjunctivism, qualia theory, representationalism, or sense-datum theory?OtherThis is metaphysical question of the type which philosophers should abandon. It is to be resolved by empirical sciences.
Personal identity: biological view, psychological view, or further-fact view?OtherUnless it is the concept of identity being discussed and not actual identity, to choose from the above option, given how philosophers would justify their choice, seems like a metaphysical (speculative) commitment which is best left unattended.
Politics: communitarianism, egalitarianism, or libertarianism?Lean toward: egalitarianism
Proper names: Fregean or Millian?Accept: Fregean
Science: scientific realism or scientific anti-realism?Lean toward: scientific anti-realism
Teletransporter (new matter): survival or death?Skip
Time: A-theory or B-theory?OtherTo choose between A-theories or B-theories, given how philosophers would justify their choice, seems like a metaphysical (speculative) commitment which is best left unattended.
Trolley problem (five straight ahead, one on side track, turn requires switching, what ought one do?): switch or don't switch?Skip
Truth: correspondence, deflationary, or epistemic?Accept: epistemic
Zombies: inconceivable, conceivable but not metaphysically possible, or metaphysically possible?Skip