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 1238 / 1803 (68.7%)
Accept or lean toward: no 389 / 1803 (21.6%)
The question is too unclear to answer 66 / 1803 (3.7%)
Agnostic/undecided 30 / 1803 (1.7%)
Accept an intermediate view 24 / 1803 (1.3%)
Accept another alternative 14 / 1803 (0.8%)
Skip 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
Accept both 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
There is no fact of the matter 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
Reject both 4 / 1803 (0.2%)
Other 3 / 1803 (0.2%)

Abstract objects: Platonism or nominalism?

Accept or lean toward: nominalism 736 / 1803 (40.8%)
Accept or lean toward: Platonism 655 / 1803 (36.3%)
Agnostic/undecided 87 / 1803 (4.8%)
Accept another alternative 81 / 1803 (4.5%)
Reject both 61 / 1803 (3.4%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 54 / 1803 (3.0%)
Accept an intermediate view 51 / 1803 (2.8%)
The question is too unclear to answer 32 / 1803 (1.8%)
Skip 19 / 1803 (1.1%)
There is no fact of the matter 16 / 1803 (0.9%)
Other 7 / 1803 (0.4%)
Accept both 4 / 1803 (0.2%)

Aesthetic value: objective or subjective?

Accept or lean toward: objective 730 / 1803 (40.5%)
Accept or lean toward: subjective 653 / 1803 (36.2%)
Accept an intermediate view 121 / 1803 (6.7%)
The question is too unclear to answer 63 / 1803 (3.5%)
Accept both 59 / 1803 (3.3%)
Agnostic/undecided 51 / 1803 (2.8%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 43 / 1803 (2.4%)
Accept another alternative 42 / 1803 (2.3%)
Skip 17 / 1803 (0.9%)
Reject both 14 / 1803 (0.8%)
There is no fact of the matter 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
Other 5 / 1803 (0.3%)

Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes or no?

Accept or lean toward: yes 1115 / 1803 (61.8%)
Accept or lean toward: no 517 / 1803 (28.7%)
Agnostic/undecided 39 / 1803 (2.2%)
The question is too unclear to answer 36 / 1803 (2.0%)
Accept an intermediate view 24 / 1803 (1.3%)
Skip 21 / 1803 (1.2%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 17 / 1803 (0.9%)
Accept another alternative 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
Accept both 9 / 1803 (0.5%)
Reject both 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
Other 4 / 1803 (0.2%)
There is no fact of the matter 3 / 1803 (0.2%)

Epistemic justification: internalism or externalism?

Accept or lean toward: externalism 788 / 1803 (43.7%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 472 / 1803 (26.2%)
Accept an intermediate view 124 / 1803 (6.9%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 107 / 1803 (5.9%)
Agnostic/undecided 83 / 1803 (4.6%)
Accept both 83 / 1803 (4.6%)
Skip 37 / 1803 (2.1%)
The question is too unclear to answer 36 / 1803 (2.0%)
Accept another alternative 33 / 1803 (1.8%)
Reject both 23 / 1803 (1.3%)
There is no fact of the matter 11 / 1803 (0.6%)
Other 6 / 1803 (0.3%)

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

Accept or lean toward: non-skeptical realism 1382 / 1803 (76.7%)
Accept or lean toward: skepticism 128 / 1803 (7.1%)
Accept or lean toward: idealism 123 / 1803 (6.8%)
Accept another alternative 41 / 1803 (2.3%)
The question is too unclear to answer 31 / 1803 (1.7%)
Accept an intermediate view 26 / 1803 (1.4%)
Reject all 20 / 1803 (1.1%)
Skip 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
There is no fact of the matter 8 / 1803 (0.4%)
Agnostic/undecided 8 / 1803 (0.4%)
Accept more than one 6 / 1803 (0.3%)
Reject one, undecided between others 6 / 1803 (0.3%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 6 / 1803 (0.3%)
Other 5 / 1803 (0.3%)

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

Accept or lean toward: compatibilism 1004 / 1803 (55.7%)
Accept or lean toward: libertarianism 301 / 1803 (16.7%)
Accept or lean toward: no free will 233 / 1803 (12.9%)
Agnostic/undecided 65 / 1803 (3.6%)
The question is too unclear to answer 40 / 1803 (2.2%)
Accept another alternative 33 / 1803 (1.8%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 32 / 1803 (1.8%)
Accept an intermediate view 21 / 1803 (1.2%)
Reject all 18 / 1803 (1.0%)
Reject one, undecided between others 17 / 1803 (0.9%)
There is no fact of the matter 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
Accept more than one 9 / 1803 (0.5%)
Skip 9 / 1803 (0.5%)
Other 8 / 1803 (0.4%)

God: theism or atheism?

Accept or lean toward: atheism 1257 / 1803 (69.7%)
Accept or lean toward: theism 295 / 1803 (16.4%)
Agnostic/undecided 117 / 1803 (6.5%)
The question is too unclear to answer 30 / 1803 (1.7%)
Accept another alternative 28 / 1803 (1.6%)
Reject both 26 / 1803 (1.4%)
Skip 14 / 1803 (0.8%)
Accept an intermediate view 14 / 1803 (0.8%)
There is no fact of the matter 11 / 1803 (0.6%)
Other 9 / 1803 (0.5%)
Accept both 1 / 1803 (0.1%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 1 / 1803 (0.1%)

Knowledge claims: contextualism, relativism, or invariantism?

Accept or lean toward: contextualism 749 / 1803 (41.5%)
Accept or lean toward: invariantism 528 / 1803 (29.3%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 163 / 1803 (9.0%)
Agnostic/undecided 95 / 1803 (5.3%)
Accept or lean toward: relativism 73 / 1803 (4.0%)
The question is too unclear to answer 36 / 1803 (2.0%)
Skip 35 / 1803 (1.9%)
Accept another alternative 26 / 1803 (1.4%)
Accept more than one 23 / 1803 (1.3%)
Reject one, undecided between others 23 / 1803 (1.3%)
Accept an intermediate view 19 / 1803 (1.1%)
There is no fact of the matter 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
Reject all 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
Other 9 / 1803 (0.5%)

Knowledge: empiricism or rationalism?

Accept or lean toward: empiricism 687 / 1803 (38.1%)
Accept or lean toward: rationalism 469 / 1803 (26.0%)
Accept an intermediate view 212 / 1803 (11.8%)
The question is too unclear to answer 134 / 1803 (7.4%)
Accept both 118 / 1803 (6.5%)
Reject both 63 / 1803 (3.5%)
Accept another alternative 55 / 1803 (3.1%)
Agnostic/undecided 28 / 1803 (1.6%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 14 / 1803 (0.8%)
Skip 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
There is no fact of the matter 6 / 1803 (0.3%)
Other 4 / 1803 (0.2%)

Laws of nature: Humean or non-Humean?

Accept or lean toward: non-Humean 919 / 1803 (51.0%)
Accept or lean toward: Humean 521 / 1803 (28.9%)
Agnostic/undecided 120 / 1803 (6.7%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 119 / 1803 (6.6%)
The question is too unclear to answer 31 / 1803 (1.7%)
Accept another alternative 26 / 1803 (1.4%)
Skip 26 / 1803 (1.4%)
Reject both 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
Accept an intermediate view 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
Other 8 / 1803 (0.4%)
There is no fact of the matter 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
Accept both 3 / 1803 (0.2%)

Logic: classical or non-classical?

Accept or lean toward: classical 874 / 1803 (48.5%)
Accept or lean toward: non-classical 320 / 1803 (17.7%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 232 / 1803 (12.9%)
Accept both 115 / 1803 (6.4%)
Agnostic/undecided 89 / 1803 (4.9%)
The question is too unclear to answer 58 / 1803 (3.2%)
There is no fact of the matter 39 / 1803 (2.2%)
Skip 36 / 1803 (2.0%)
Accept an intermediate view 16 / 1803 (0.9%)
Accept another alternative 15 / 1803 (0.8%)
Other 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
Reject both 4 / 1803 (0.2%)

Mental content: internalism or externalism?

Accept or lean toward: externalism 882 / 1803 (48.9%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 401 / 1803 (22.2%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 124 / 1803 (6.9%)
Agnostic/undecided 87 / 1803 (4.8%)
Accept an intermediate view 77 / 1803 (4.3%)
Accept both 76 / 1803 (4.2%)
The question is too unclear to answer 45 / 1803 (2.5%)
Skip 35 / 1803 (1.9%)
Accept another alternative 32 / 1803 (1.8%)
Reject both 23 / 1803 (1.3%)
There is no fact of the matter 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
Other 9 / 1803 (0.5%)

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

Accept or lean toward: moral realism 1017 / 1803 (56.4%)
Accept or lean toward: moral anti-realism 511 / 1803 (28.3%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 50 / 1803 (2.8%)
Agnostic/undecided 47 / 1803 (2.6%)
Accept an intermediate view 44 / 1803 (2.4%)
Accept another alternative 42 / 1803 (2.3%)
The question is too unclear to answer 38 / 1803 (2.1%)
Skip 23 / 1803 (1.3%)
Reject both 20 / 1803 (1.1%)
There is no fact of the matter 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
Other 4 / 1803 (0.2%)
Accept both 2 / 1803 (0.1%)

Metaphilosophy: naturalism or non-naturalism?

Accept or lean toward: naturalism 912 / 1803 (50.6%)
Accept or lean toward: non-naturalism 474 / 1803 (26.3%)
The question is too unclear to answer 141 / 1803 (7.8%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 115 / 1803 (6.4%)
Agnostic/undecided 49 / 1803 (2.7%)
Skip 28 / 1803 (1.6%)
Accept an intermediate view 28 / 1803 (1.6%)
Reject both 17 / 1803 (0.9%)
Accept another alternative 17 / 1803 (0.9%)
Accept both 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
There is no fact of the matter 7 / 1803 (0.4%)
Other 3 / 1803 (0.2%)

Mind: physicalism or non-physicalism?

Accept or lean toward: physicalism 981 / 1803 (54.4%)
Accept or lean toward: non-physicalism 521 / 1803 (28.9%)
The question is too unclear to answer 93 / 1803 (5.2%)
Accept an intermediate view 45 / 1803 (2.5%)
Agnostic/undecided 43 / 1803 (2.4%)
Accept another alternative 42 / 1803 (2.3%)
Reject both 25 / 1803 (1.4%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 17 / 1803 (0.9%)
Accept both 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
Skip 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
There is no fact of the matter 8 / 1803 (0.4%)
Other 4 / 1803 (0.2%)

Moral judgment: cognitivism or non-cognitivism?

Accept or lean toward: cognitivism 1132 / 1803 (62.8%)
Accept or lean toward: non-cognitivism 340 / 1803 (18.9%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 97 / 1803 (5.4%)
Accept an intermediate view 72 / 1803 (4.0%)
Agnostic/undecided 39 / 1803 (2.2%)
The question is too unclear to answer 29 / 1803 (1.6%)
Accept another alternative 27 / 1803 (1.5%)
Accept both 26 / 1803 (1.4%)
Skip 25 / 1803 (1.4%)
Reject both 9 / 1803 (0.5%)
Other 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
There is no fact of the matter 2 / 1803 (0.1%)

Moral motivation: internalism or externalism?

Accept or lean toward: internalism 654 / 1803 (36.3%)
Accept or lean toward: externalism 529 / 1803 (29.3%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 268 / 1803 (14.9%)
Agnostic/undecided 100 / 1803 (5.5%)
The question is too unclear to answer 67 / 1803 (3.7%)
Accept an intermediate view 57 / 1803 (3.2%)
Skip 43 / 1803 (2.4%)
Accept both 38 / 1803 (2.1%)
Reject both 22 / 1803 (1.2%)
Accept another alternative 17 / 1803 (0.9%)
Other 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
There is no fact of the matter 3 / 1803 (0.2%)

Newcomb's problem: one box or two boxes?

Insufficiently familiar with the issue 599 / 1803 (33.2%)
Accept or lean toward: two boxes 458 / 1803 (25.4%)
Accept or lean toward: one box 348 / 1803 (19.3%)
Agnostic/undecided 195 / 1803 (10.8%)
Skip 112 / 1803 (6.2%)
The question is too unclear to answer 31 / 1803 (1.7%)
There is no fact of the matter 25 / 1803 (1.4%)
Reject both 10 / 1803 (0.6%)
Other 10 / 1803 (0.6%)
Accept both 7 / 1803 (0.4%)
Accept another alternative 7 / 1803 (0.4%)
Accept an intermediate view 1 / 1803 (0.1%)

Normative ethics: deontology, consequentialism, or virtue ethics?

Accept or lean toward: consequentialism 435 / 1803 (24.1%)
Accept or lean toward: virtue ethics 406 / 1803 (22.5%)
Accept or lean toward: deontology 404 / 1803 (22.4%)
Accept more than one 143 / 1803 (7.9%)
Accept an intermediate view 82 / 1803 (4.5%)
Agnostic/undecided 76 / 1803 (4.2%)
Accept another alternative 59 / 1803 (3.3%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 55 / 1803 (3.1%)
Reject all 50 / 1803 (2.8%)
The question is too unclear to answer 25 / 1803 (1.4%)
There is no fact of the matter 20 / 1803 (1.1%)
Skip 20 / 1803 (1.1%)
Reject one, undecided between others 17 / 1803 (0.9%)
Other 11 / 1803 (0.6%)

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

Accept or lean toward: representationalism 523 / 1803 (29.0%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 303 / 1803 (16.8%)
Accept or lean toward: qualia theory 240 / 1803 (13.3%)
Accept or lean toward: disjunctivism 221 / 1803 (12.3%)
Agnostic/undecided 128 / 1803 (7.1%)
Accept or lean toward: sense-datum theory 79 / 1803 (4.4%)
Accept another alternative 60 / 1803 (3.3%)
Reject all 55 / 1803 (3.1%)
Skip 48 / 1803 (2.7%)
The question is too unclear to answer 39 / 1803 (2.2%)
Reject one or two, undecided between others 37 / 1803 (2.1%)
Accept more than one 34 / 1803 (1.9%)
Accept an intermediate view 19 / 1803 (1.1%)
Other 11 / 1803 (0.6%)
There is no fact of the matter 6 / 1803 (0.3%)

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

Accept or lean toward: psychological view 620 / 1803 (34.4%)
Accept or lean toward: biological view 325 / 1803 (18.0%)
Accept or lean toward: further-fact view 212 / 1803 (11.8%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 140 / 1803 (7.8%)
Agnostic/undecided 130 / 1803 (7.2%)
Accept another alternative 67 / 1803 (3.7%)
Accept more than one 61 / 1803 (3.4%)
There is no fact of the matter 58 / 1803 (3.2%)
Reject all 48 / 1803 (2.7%)
The question is too unclear to answer 45 / 1803 (2.5%)
Accept an intermediate view 41 / 1803 (2.3%)
Skip 30 / 1803 (1.7%)
Reject one, undecided between others 17 / 1803 (0.9%)
Other 9 / 1803 (0.5%)

Politics: communitarianism, egalitarianism, or libertarianism?

Accept or lean toward: egalitarianism 595 / 1803 (33.0%)
Accept or lean toward: communitarianism 294 / 1803 (16.3%)
Accept or lean toward: libertarianism 242 / 1803 (13.4%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 187 / 1803 (10.4%)
Agnostic/undecided 84 / 1803 (4.7%)
Accept more than one 70 / 1803 (3.9%)
Accept another alternative 68 / 1803 (3.8%)
The question is too unclear to answer 67 / 1803 (3.7%)
Accept an intermediate view 59 / 1803 (3.3%)
Reject all 49 / 1803 (2.7%)
Skip 44 / 1803 (2.4%)
Reject one, undecided between others 27 / 1803 (1.5%)
Other 11 / 1803 (0.6%)
There is no fact of the matter 6 / 1803 (0.3%)

Proper names: Fregean or Millian?

Accept or lean toward: Millian 558 / 1803 (30.9%)
Accept or lean toward: Fregean 551 / 1803 (30.6%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 312 / 1803 (17.3%)
Agnostic/undecided 116 / 1803 (6.4%)
Accept another alternative 51 / 1803 (2.8%)
Accept an intermediate view 48 / 1803 (2.7%)
Skip 47 / 1803 (2.6%)
Reject both 42 / 1803 (2.3%)
The question is too unclear to answer 37 / 1803 (2.1%)
Accept both 16 / 1803 (0.9%)
There is no fact of the matter 15 / 1803 (0.8%)
Other 10 / 1803 (0.6%)

Science: scientific realism or scientific anti-realism?

Accept or lean toward: scientific realism 1264 / 1803 (70.1%)
Accept or lean toward: scientific anti-realism 287 / 1803 (15.9%)
Accept an intermediate view 55 / 1803 (3.1%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 51 / 1803 (2.8%)
The question is too unclear to answer 33 / 1803 (1.8%)
Agnostic/undecided 31 / 1803 (1.7%)
Reject both 28 / 1803 (1.6%)
Accept another alternative 26 / 1803 (1.4%)
Skip 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
There is no fact of the matter 6 / 1803 (0.3%)
Accept both 5 / 1803 (0.3%)
Other 4 / 1803 (0.2%)

Teletransporter (new matter): survival or death?

Accept or lean toward: survival 626 / 1803 (34.7%)
Accept or lean toward: death 567 / 1803 (31.4%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 200 / 1803 (11.1%)
Agnostic/undecided 130 / 1803 (7.2%)
There is no fact of the matter 100 / 1803 (5.5%)
The question is too unclear to answer 69 / 1803 (3.8%)
Skip 52 / 1803 (2.9%)
Reject both 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
Accept another alternative 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
Other 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
Accept an intermediate view 11 / 1803 (0.6%)
Accept both 10 / 1803 (0.6%)

Time: A-theory or B-theory?

Insufficiently familiar with the issue 626 / 1803 (34.7%)
Accept or lean toward: B-theory 408 / 1803 (22.6%)
Accept or lean toward: A-theory 288 / 1803 (16.0%)
Agnostic/undecided 176 / 1803 (9.8%)
Skip 103 / 1803 (5.7%)
Accept both 58 / 1803 (3.2%)
The question is too unclear to answer 42 / 1803 (2.3%)
There is no fact of the matter 27 / 1803 (1.5%)
Reject both 24 / 1803 (1.3%)
Accept another alternative 19 / 1803 (1.1%)
Accept an intermediate view 19 / 1803 (1.1%)
Other 13 / 1803 (0.7%)

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 1191 / 1803 (66.1%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 131 / 1803 (7.3%)
Accept or lean toward: don't switch 130 / 1803 (7.2%)
Agnostic/undecided 99 / 1803 (5.5%)
There is no fact of the matter 64 / 1803 (3.5%)
The question is too unclear to answer 48 / 1803 (2.7%)
Skip 47 / 1803 (2.6%)
Reject both 31 / 1803 (1.7%)
Accept another alternative 26 / 1803 (1.4%)
Other 16 / 1803 (0.9%)
Accept an intermediate view 13 / 1803 (0.7%)
Accept both 7 / 1803 (0.4%)

Truth: correspondence, deflationary, or epistemic?

Accept or lean toward: correspondence 882 / 1803 (48.9%)
Accept or lean toward: deflationary 415 / 1803 (23.0%)
Accept or lean toward: epistemic 196 / 1803 (10.9%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 59 / 1803 (3.3%)
Agnostic/undecided 58 / 1803 (3.2%)
Accept another alternative 40 / 1803 (2.2%)
Reject all 37 / 1803 (2.1%)
Accept more than one 29 / 1803 (1.6%)
The question is too unclear to answer 23 / 1803 (1.3%)
Skip 23 / 1803 (1.3%)
Reject one, undecided between others 16 / 1803 (0.9%)
Accept an intermediate view 12 / 1803 (0.7%)
Other 7 / 1803 (0.4%)
There is no fact of the matter 6 / 1803 (0.3%)

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

Accept or lean toward: conceivable but not metaphysically possible 631 / 1803 (35.0%)
Accept or lean toward: metaphysically possible 434 / 1803 (24.1%)
Accept or lean toward: inconceivable 318 / 1803 (17.6%)
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 145 / 1803 (8.0%)
Agnostic/undecided 95 / 1803 (5.3%)
The question is too unclear to answer 64 / 1803 (3.5%)
There is no fact of the matter 32 / 1803 (1.8%)
Skip 30 / 1803 (1.7%)
Reject all 21 / 1803 (1.2%)
Other 16 / 1803 (0.9%)
Accept another alternative 9 / 1803 (0.5%)
Reject one, undecided between others 4 / 1803 (0.2%)
Accept an intermediate view 3 / 1803 (0.2%)
Accept more than one 1 / 1803 (0.1%)

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