Survey Results

Possible worlds: abstract, nonexistent, or concrete?

Population

AOS

Region

for

Exclude answers beyond respondent's first 50

Include skip/insufficiently familiar answers

1063 respondents

What the percentages mean: "Accept or lean toward P: 50% (40%)" means that 50% of respondents endorsed this answer inclusively (including multiple-answer endorsements) and 40% endorsed this answer exclusively (excluding multiple-answer endorsements).

These results should not be used for comparison to 2009 results due to different populations and parameters. For meaningful longitudinal comparisons, see the longitudinal analysis section.

Collapse accept and lean towards

Accept or lean towards:
abstract

54.84% (53.43%)

Reject or lean against:
abstract

0.09% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
concrete

4.61% (4.33%)

Reject or lean against:
concrete

1.79% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
nonexistent

30.01% (28.97%)

Reject or lean against:
nonexistent

0.56% (0.00%)

Accept a combination of views

2.35%

Accept an alternative view

1.79%

The question is too unclear to answer

1.88%

There is no fact of the matter

2.07%

Agnostic/undecided

4.89%

Other

0.28%

N = 1063, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (102 respondents)

Most popular option combinations

Options	Number of responses	% of responses
Accept or lean towards: abstract Accept or lean towards: nonexistent	10	0.94%
Accept or lean towards: abstract Accept or lean towards: concrete	3	0.28%
Accept or lean towards: abstract	1	0.09%
Accept or lean towards: nonexistent	1	0.09%

Alternative Views

29 target respondents indicated that they accept or lean toward an alternative view. The words used in their responses cluster as follows. These results are not filtered by AOS, region, etc.

MODA (7): modal (6) modality (1)
EXIS (6): exist (2) existents (1) existential (1) existed (1) existence (1)
REAL (5): realism (3) real (2)
SEMA (3): semantics (2) semantic (1)
COUL (3): could (3)

Longitudinal comparison to 2009 survey

This question was not in the 2009 survey

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: 0.43	Propositions: nonexistent
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	80	109
Reject	30	393

n: 612

p < 0.0001

r: -0.4	Propositions: nonexistent
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	24	341
Reject	86	162

n: 613

p < 0.0001

r: 0.35	Quantum mechanics: many-worlds
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	11
Reject	68	328

n: 430

p < 0.0001

r: -0.34	Abstract objects: Platonism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	69	203
Reject	321	264

n: 857

p < 0.0001

r: 0.32	Abstract objects: Platonism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	287	212
Reject	103	254

n: 856

p < 0.0001

r: 0.31	Properties: transcendent universals
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	109	233
Reject	26	210

n: 578

p < 0.0001

r: 0.29	Propositions: structured entities
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	191	175
Reject	75	173

n: 614

p < 0.0001

r: 0.28	Propositions: sets
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	13	27
Reject	48	527

n: 615

p < 0.0001

r: -0.27	Propositions: structured entities
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	55	134
Reject	210	214

n: 613

p < 0.0001

r: -0.26	Properties: transcendent universals
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	20	167
Reject	115	275

n: 577

p < 0.0001

r: 0.26	Cosmological fine-tuning: multiverse
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	22	13
Reject	79	498

n: 612

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Metaontology: anti-realism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	39	131
Reject	32	327

n: 529

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	Philosophical methods: intuition-based philosophy
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	334	223
Reject	169	219

n: 945

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Knowledge: empiricism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	170	79
Reject	262	261

n: 772

p < 0.0001

r: -0.19	Metaontology: heavyweight realism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	63	108
Reject	176	184

n: 531

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Propositional attitudes: representational
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	217	147
Reject	108	149

n: 621

p < 0.0001

r: -0.19	Propositional attitudes: representational
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	81	111
Reject	244	184

n: 620

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Cosmological fine-tuning: no fine-tuning
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	71	126
Reject	84	328

n: 609

p < 0.0001

r: -0.18	A priori knowledge: yes
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	206	89
Reject	543	108

n: 946

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	A priori knowledge: yes
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	477	89
Reject	272	108

n: 946

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Chinese room: understands
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	19	20
Reject	135	582

n: 756

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Mind uploading: survival
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	24	18
Reject	203	491

n: 736

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Theory of reference: deflationary
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	57	153
Reject	54	371

n: 635

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Other minds: current AI systems
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	5	41
Reject	17	748

n: 811

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Properties: nonexistent
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	34	154
Reject	20	368

n: 576

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Laws of nature: Humean
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	21
Reject	256	553

n: 853

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Morality: non-naturalism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	49	194
Reject	166	338

n: 747

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	True contradictions: actual
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	31
Reject	74	599

n: 714

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Metaontology: anti-realism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	29	284
Reject	42	175

n: 530

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Semantic content: radical contextualism (most or all)
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	63	126
Reject	93	308

n: 590

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Properties: nonexistent
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	17	324
Reject	37	199

n: 577

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Meta-ethics: moral realism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	168	117
Reject	452	184

n: 921

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Philosophical methods: intuition-based philosophy
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	135	163
Reject	369	278

n: 945

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Knowledge: empiricism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	227	220
Reject	205	120

n: 772

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Metaontology: heavyweight realism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	154	160
Reject	86	132

n: 532

p: 0.0002

r: -0.16	Theory of reference: deflationary
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	46	325
Reject	65	199

n: 635

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Interlevel metaphysics: grounding
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	41	121
Reject	149	231

n: 542

p: 0.0002

r: 0.16	Morality: non-naturalism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	146	283
Reject	69	249

n: 747

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Other minds: plants
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	39
Reject	48	717

n: 811

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Meta-ethics: moral realism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	398	151
Reject	221	151

n: 921

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	Truth: epistemic
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	8	39
Reject	78	744

n: 869

p < 0.0001

r: -0.15	Zombies: inconceivable
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	68	431
Reject	83	262

n: 844

p < 0.0001

r: -0.15	Statue and lump: one thing
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	125	249
Reject	115	151

n: 640

p < 0.0001

r: -0.15	Semantic content: radical contextualism (most or all)
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	78	273
Reject	78	161

n: 590

p: 0.0002

r: 0.15	Cosmological fine-tuning: brute fact
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	124	243
Reject	66	177

n: 610

p: 0.0002

r: 0.15	Causation: counterfactual/difference-making
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	14
Reject	233	397

n: 667

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	Interlevel metaphysics: grounding
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	134	200
Reject	56	151

n: 541

p: 0.0005

r: -0.15	Cosmological fine-tuning: no fine-tuning
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	76	291
Reject	79	164

n: 610

p: 0.0003

r: -0.15	Hard problem of consciousness: yes
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	147	109
Reject	353	159

n: 768

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Hard problem of consciousness: yes
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	312	132
Reject	188	135

n: 767

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Extended mind: yes
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	27	11
Reject	345	333

n: 716

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Zombies: inconceivable
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	67	197
Reject	84	496

n: 844

p < 0.0001

r: -0.14	Material composition: universalism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	31	95
Reject	105	184

n: 415

p: 0.0039

r: 0.14	Other minds: future AI systems
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	32	14
Reject	306	459

n: 811

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Moral judgment: cognitivism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	412	120
Reject	239	120

n: 891

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Justification: coherentism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	60	143
Reject	107	347

n: 657

p: 0.0004

r: -0.14	Time: A-theory
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	6	32
Reject	190	406

n: 634

p: 0.0006

r: 0.14	Normative ethics: consequentialism
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	27	20
Reject	278	523

n: 848

p < 0.0001

r: -0.14	Metaphilosophy: naturalism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	229	225
Reject	219	131

n: 804

p < 0.0001

r: 0.13	Response to external-world skepticism: contextualist
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	28
Reject	72	570

n: 677

p: 0.0005

r: 0.13	Arguments for theism: design
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	114	286
Reject	41	229

n: 670

p: 0.0005

r: 0.13	Arguments for theism: ontological
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	30
Reject	71	553

n: 661

p: 0.0007

r: -0.13	Philosophical methods: formal philosophy
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	166	132
Reject	429	218

n: 945

p < 0.0001

r: 0.13	Statue and lump: one thing
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	91	108
Reject	149	293

n: 641

p: 0.0009

r: 0.13	Eating animals and animal products: veganism (no and no)
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	16	31
Reject	176	703

n: 926

p < 0.0001

r: -0.13	True contradictions: impossible
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	28	13
Reject	526	147

n: 714

p: 0.0005

r: 0.13	Cosmological fine-tuning: design
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	80	286
Reject	40	204

n: 610

p: 0.0013

r: -0.13	Moral judgment: cognitivism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	184	93
Reject	467	147

n: 891

p < 0.0001

r: 0.13	Properties: classes
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	25
Reject	64	482

n: 578

p: 0.0017

r: 0.13	Propositions: simple entities
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	43	323
Reject	4	244

n: 614

p: 0.0015

r: 0.13	Teletransporter: survival
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	19
Reject	305	464

n: 811

p: 0.0003

r: -0.13	Justification: coherentism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	86	296
Reject	81	193

n: 656

p: 0.0013

r: -0.12	Aesthetic value: objective
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	120	149
Reject	315	275

n: 859

p: 0.0002

r: -0.12	Propositional attitudes: nonexistent
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	6	351
Reject	15	237

n: 609

p: 0.0021

r: 0.12	Values in science: necessarily value-laden
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	17
Reject	296	402

n: 738

p: 0.0007

r: -0.12	Analysis of knowledge: justified true belief
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	99	346
Reject	93	231

n: 769

p: 0.0006

r: 0.12	Response to external-world skepticism: pragmatic
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	61	158
Reject	95	369

n: 683

p: 0.0014

r: 0.12	Well-being: hedonism/experientialism
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	31
Reject	86	533

n: 660

p: 0.0019

r: -0.12	Justification: nonreliabilist foundationalism
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	30
Reject	195	424

n: 659

p: 0.0019

r: -0.12	Semantic content: moderate contextualism (intermediate)
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	93	96
Reject	237	164

n: 590

p: 0.0036

r: -0.12	Propositions: sets
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	5	184
Reject	56	368

n: 613

p: 0.003

r: 0.12	Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	396	165
Reject	240	149

n: 950

p: 0.0003

r: 0.12	Metaphilosophy: naturalism
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	172	99
Reject	276	257

n: 804

p: 0.0009

r: -0.12	Response to external-world skepticism: pragmatic
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	83	321
Reject	73	206

n: 683

p: 0.0023

r: -0.12	Vagueness: semantic
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	19	26
Reject	453	328

n: 826

p: 0.0008

r: -0.12	Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	178	119
Reject	457	195

n: 949

p: 0.0003

r: 0.12	Consciousness: dualism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	126	304
Reject	63	231

n: 724

p: 0.0019

r: -0.12	Well-being: objective list
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	19	22
Reject	370	251

n: 662

p: 0.003

r: 0.11	Temporal ontology: eternalism
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	21	12
Reject	230	310

n: 573

p: 0.0061

r: -0.11	Eating animals and animal products: omnivorism (yes and yes)
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	18	29
Reject	474	406

n: 927

p: 0.0005

r: 0.11	Response to external-world skepticism: semantic externalist
Possible worlds: concrete	Accept	Reject
Accept	6	29
Reject	53	590

n: 678

p: 0.0029

r: 0.11	Truth: correspondence
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	332	175
Reject	197	165

n: 869

p: 0.0008

r: 0.11	Justification: nonreliabilist foundationalism
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	134	248
Reject	68	206

n: 656

p: 0.0035

r: 0.11	Response to external-world skepticism: dogmatist
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	72	327
Reject	29	251

n: 679

p: 0.0031

r: -0.11	Foundations of mathematics: set-theoretic
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	18	119
Reject	64	244

n: 445

p: 0.0181

r: 0.11	Philosophical methods: formal philosophy
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	374	183
Reject	221	167

n: 945

p: 0.0006

r: 0.11	Propositional attitudes: nonexistent
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	13	177
Reject	8	410

n: 608

p: 0.0058

r: -0.11	Time travel: metaphysically possible
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Accept	Reject
Accept	90	133
Reject	242	256

n: 721

p: 0.0028

r: 0.11	Foundations of mathematics: set-theoretic
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	58	203
Reject	24	160

n: 445

p: 0.021

r: 0.11	Semantic content: moderate contextualism (intermediate)
Possible worlds: abstract	Accept	Reject
Accept	211	140
Reject	119	120

n: 590

p: 0.0079

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: 0.25	Philosopher: Lewis
Possible worlds: concrete	Yes	No
Accept	21	23
Reject	69	632

n: 745

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Philosopher: Lewis
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	9	234
Reject	81	422

n: 746

p < 0.0001

r: -0.15	AOS: Philosophy of Language
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	33	281
Reject	147	519

n: 980

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	AOS: Philosophy of Language
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	131	443
Reject	49	357

n: 980

p < 0.0001

r: 0.12	Tradition: Analytic
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	518	47
Reject	340	62

n: 967

p: 0.0002

r: -0.11	Region of PhD: Europe
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	33	393
Reject	39	260

n: 725

p: 0.0025

r: -0.11	Tradition: Other tradition
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	30	535
Reject	46	356

n: 967

p: 0.0005

r: 0.11	Other demographics: YOB
Possible worlds: concrete	Yes	No
Accept	24	20
Reject	432	446

n: 922

p: 0.0011

r: -0.11	Philosopher: Frege
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	10	233
Reject	55	448

n: 746

p: 0.0035

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Reid
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	21	405
Reject	3	317

n: 746

p: 0.0048

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Frege
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	46	380
Reject	19	301

n: 746

p: 0.0049

r: -0.1	AOS: Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	13	561
Reject	18	388

n: 980

p: 0.0024

r: 0.1	AOS: Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	17	297
Reject	14	652

n: 980

p: 0.0026

r: -0.09	Philosopher: Hegel
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	5	421
Reject	15	305

n: 746

p: 0.0098

r: 0.09	Philosopher: Berkeley
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	7	419
Reject	0	320

n: 746

p: 0.0137

r: -0.09	Tradition: Analytic
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	263	47
Reject	595	62

n: 967

p: 0.0065

r: 0.09	Philosopher: Hume
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	55	188
Reject	76	427

n: 746

p: 0.0188

r: -0.09	Philosopher: Hume
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	60	366
Reject	71	249

n: 746

p: 0.0194

r: 0.08	AOS: Philosophy of Social Science
Possible worlds: concrete	Yes	No
Accept	5	43
Reject	34	899

n: 981

p: 0.0091

r: 0.08	Philosopher: Moore
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	25	401
Reject	9	311

n: 746

p: 0.0242

r: 0.08	AOS: Epistemology
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	172	402
Reject	91	315

n: 980

p: 0.0098

r: 0.08	AOS: Philosophy of Gender, Race, and Sexuality
Possible worlds: concrete	Yes	No
Accept	5	43
Reject	23	910

n: 981

p: 0.0106

r: -0.08	Philosopher: Moore
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	5	238
Reject	28	475

n: 746

p: 0.0312

r: -0.08	AOS: Logic and Philosophy of Logic
Possible worlds: concrete	Yes	No
Accept	5	43
Reject	96	837

n: 981

p: 0.0142

r: 0.08	Philosopher: Parfit
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	22	404
Reject	9	311

n: 746

p: 0.0353

r: 0.08	Tradition: Other tradition
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	34	276
Reject	42	615

n: 967

p: 0.0169

r: 0.08	Philosopher: Popper
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	7	236
Reject	5	498

n: 746

p: 0.0386

r: 0.07	AOS: Logic and Philosophy of Logic
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	72	502
Reject	29	377

n: 980

p: 0.0192

r: 0.07	Philosopher: Nietzsche
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	12	231
Reject	9	494

n: 746

p: 0.0412

r: 0.07	Region of PhD: United States
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	299	127
Reject	189	110

n: 725

p: 0.0459

r: 0.07	Region of PhD: Europe
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	28	199
Reject	44	454

n: 725

p: 0.0493

r: 0.07	Philosopher: Russell
Possible worlds: abstract	Yes	No
Accept	40	386
Reject	18	302

n: 746

p: 0.0473

r: -0.07	Tradition: Analytic
Possible worlds: concrete	Yes	No
Accept	40	8
Reject	819	101

n: 968

p: 0.0251

r: 0.07	AOS: Asian Philosophy
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	11	303
Reject	9	657

n: 980

p: 0.0296

r: 0.07	AOS: Social and Political Philosophy
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	48	266
Reject	78	588

n: 980

p: 0.036

r: 0.06	AOS: 17th/18th Century Philosophy
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	44	270
Reject	58	608

n: 980

p: 0.0433

r: -0.06	AOS: Epistemology
Possible worlds: nonexistent	Yes	No
Accept	70	244
Reject	193	473

n: 980

p: 0.0438