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 33 / 43 (76.7%)
Other 5 / 43 (11.6%)
Accept or lean toward: no 5 / 43 (11.6%)

Abstract objects: Platonism or nominalism?

Accept or lean toward: nominalism 17 / 43 (39.5%)
Accept or lean toward: Platonism 15 / 43 (34.9%)
Other 11 / 43 (25.6%)

Aesthetic value: objective or subjective?

Accept or lean toward: objective 18 / 43 (41.9%)
Accept or lean toward: subjective 14 / 43 (32.6%)
Other 11 / 43 (25.6%)

Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes or no?

Accept or lean toward: yes 30 / 43 (69.8%)
Accept or lean toward: no 9 / 43 (20.9%)
Other 4 / 43 (9.3%)

Epistemic justification: internalism or externalism?

Other 16 / 43 (37.2%)
Accept or lean toward: externalism 15 / 43 (34.9%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 12 / 43 (27.9%)

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

Accept or lean toward: non-skeptical realism 32 / 43 (74.4%)
Accept or lean toward: idealism 5 / 43 (11.6%)
Other 4 / 43 (9.3%)
Accept or lean toward: skepticism 2 / 43 (4.7%)

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

Accept or lean toward: compatibilism 23 / 43 (53.5%)
Accept or lean toward: libertarianism 8 / 43 (18.6%)
Other 7 / 43 (16.3%)
Accept or lean toward: no free will 5 / 43 (11.6%)

God: theism or atheism?

Accept or lean toward: atheism 26 / 43 (60.5%)
Accept or lean toward: theism 11 / 43 (25.6%)
Other 6 / 43 (14.0%)

Knowledge claims: contextualism, relativism, or invariantism?

Accept or lean toward: contextualism 18 / 43 (41.9%)
Other 14 / 43 (32.6%)
Accept or lean toward: invariantism 11 / 43 (25.6%)

Knowledge: empiricism or rationalism?

Other 17 / 43 (39.5%)
Accept or lean toward: empiricism 15 / 43 (34.9%)
Accept or lean toward: rationalism 11 / 43 (25.6%)

Laws of nature: Humean or non-Humean?

Accept or lean toward: non-Humean 29 / 43 (67.4%)
Other 7 / 43 (16.3%)
Accept or lean toward: Humean 7 / 43 (16.3%)

Logic: classical or non-classical?

Accept or lean toward: classical 20 / 43 (46.5%)
Other 18 / 43 (41.9%)
Accept or lean toward: non-classical 5 / 43 (11.6%)

Mental content: internalism or externalism?

Accept or lean toward: externalism 24 / 43 (55.8%)
Other 11 / 43 (25.6%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 8 / 43 (18.6%)

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

Accept or lean toward: moral realism 27 / 43 (62.8%)
Other 8 / 43 (18.6%)
Accept or lean toward: moral anti-realism 8 / 43 (18.6%)

Metaphilosophy: naturalism or non-naturalism?

Other 20 / 43 (46.5%)
Accept or lean toward: naturalism 14 / 43 (32.6%)
Accept or lean toward: non-naturalism 9 / 43 (20.9%)

Mind: physicalism or non-physicalism?

Accept or lean toward: physicalism 21 / 43 (48.8%)
Other 14 / 43 (32.6%)
Accept or lean toward: non-physicalism 8 / 43 (18.6%)

Moral judgment: cognitivism or non-cognitivism?

Accept or lean toward: cognitivism 31 / 43 (72.1%)
Other 7 / 43 (16.3%)
Accept or lean toward: non-cognitivism 5 / 43 (11.6%)

Moral motivation: internalism or externalism?

Accept or lean toward: externalism 19 / 43 (44.2%)
Accept or lean toward: internalism 14 / 43 (32.6%)
Other 10 / 43 (23.3%)

Newcomb's problem: one box or two boxes?

Other 16 / 43 (37.2%)
Accept or lean toward: two boxes 15 / 43 (34.9%)
Accept or lean toward: one box 12 / 43 (27.9%)

Normative ethics: deontology, consequentialism, or virtue ethics?

Accept or lean toward: virtue ethics 11 / 43 (25.6%)
Accept or lean toward: deontology 11 / 43 (25.6%)
Other 11 / 43 (25.6%)
Accept or lean toward: consequentialism 10 / 43 (23.3%)

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

Other 19 / 43 (44.2%)
Accept or lean toward: representationalism 10 / 43 (23.3%)
Accept or lean toward: disjunctivism 8 / 43 (18.6%)
Accept or lean toward: qualia theory 5 / 43 (11.6%)
Accept or lean toward: sense-datum theory 1 / 43 (2.3%)

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

Accept or lean toward: psychological view 16 / 43 (37.2%)
Other 14 / 43 (32.6%)
Accept or lean toward: further-fact view 7 / 43 (16.3%)
Accept or lean toward: biological view 6 / 43 (14.0%)

Politics: communitarianism, egalitarianism, or libertarianism?

Accept or lean toward: egalitarianism 19 / 43 (44.2%)
Other 13 / 43 (30.2%)
Accept or lean toward: communitarianism 7 / 43 (16.3%)
Accept or lean toward: libertarianism 4 / 43 (9.3%)

Proper names: Fregean or Millian?

Other 22 / 43 (51.2%)
Accept or lean toward: Fregean 13 / 43 (30.2%)
Accept or lean toward: Millian 8 / 43 (18.6%)

Science: scientific realism or scientific anti-realism?

Accept or lean toward: scientific realism 31 / 43 (72.1%)
Other 9 / 43 (20.9%)
Accept or lean toward: scientific anti-realism 3 / 43 (7.0%)

Teletransporter (new matter): survival or death?

Accept or lean toward: survival 20 / 43 (46.5%)
Accept or lean toward: death 16 / 43 (37.2%)
Other 7 / 43 (16.3%)

Time: A-theory or B-theory?

Other 26 / 43 (60.5%)
Accept or lean toward: B-theory 9 / 43 (20.9%)
Accept or lean toward: A-theory 8 / 43 (18.6%)

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 37 / 43 (86.0%)
Other 5 / 43 (11.6%)
Accept or lean toward: don't switch 1 / 43 (2.3%)

Truth: correspondence, deflationary, or epistemic?

Accept or lean toward: correspondence 21 / 43 (48.8%)
Other 13 / 43 (30.2%)
Accept or lean toward: deflationary 9 / 43 (20.9%)

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

Accept or lean toward: conceivable but not metaphysically possible 17 / 43 (39.5%)
Other 10 / 43 (23.3%)
Accept or lean toward: metaphysically possible 9 / 43 (20.9%)
Accept or lean toward: inconceivable 7 / 43 (16.3%)

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