Survey Results

Epistemic justification: internalism or externalism?

Population

AOS

Region

for

Exclude answers beyond respondent's first 50

Include skip/insufficiently familiar answers

1621 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:
internalism

35.72% (30.41%)

Reject or lean against:
internalism

0.37% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
externalism

50.52% (45.34%)

Reject or lean against:
externalism

0.62% (0.00%)

Accept a combination of views

6.23%

Accept an alternative view

3.39%

The question is too unclear to answer

4.19%

There is no fact of the matter

1.79%

Agnostic/undecided

7.65%

Other

0.99%

N = 1621, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (164 respondents)

Alternative Views

84 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.

BOTH (12): both (12)
CONT (7): contextualism (4) contextualist (1) content (1) conternalism (1)
PLUR (7): pluralism (7)
PRAG (6): pragmatism (4) pragmatist (2)
PHEN (5): phenomenological (5)

Longitudinal comparison to 2009 survey

Comparison type

AOS

Geographic filters do not apply to this section.

Option

2009

2020

Change

Swing

Option

Accept or lean towards: internalism

26.42%

27.93%

1.51

0.68

2009	26.42%
2020	27.93%
Change	1.51
Swing	0.68

Accept or lean towards: externalism

42.75%

42.9%

0.15

-0.68

2009	42.75%
2020	42.9%
Change	0.15
Swing	-0.68

Accept a combination of views

12.14%

5.71%

6.43

2009	12.14%
2020	5.71%
Change	6.43

Accept an alternative view

2.15%

2.62%

0.47

2009	2.15%
2020	2.62%
Change	0.47

The question is too unclear to answer

3.01%

4.32%

1.31

2009	3.01%
2020	4.32%
Change	1.31

There is no fact of the matter

0.75%

2.16%

1.41

2009	0.75%
2020	2.16%
Change	1.41

Insufficiently familiar with the issue

4.73%

6.17%

1.44

2009	4.73%
2020	6.17%
Change	1.44

Agnostic/undecided

6.02%

6.64%

0.62

2009	6.02%
2020	6.64%
Change	0.62

Skipped

1.61%

0.77%

0.84

2009	1.61%
2020	0.77%
Change	0.84

Other

0.43%

0.77%

0.34

2009	0.43%
2020	0.77%
Change	0.34

N (2020) = 648
N (2009) = 931

Weighted values

Option	2009	2020	Change
Internalism	35.34	33.3	2.04
Externalism	46.45	44.9	1.55

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: 0.44	Mental content: internalism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	253	228
Reject	112	629

n: 1222

p < 0.0001

r: -0.44	Justification: reliabilism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	57	271
Reject	238	199

n: 765

p < 0.0001

r: 0.42	Justification: nonreliabilist foundationalism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	158	169
Reject	60	376

n: 763

p < 0.0001

r: -0.32	Response to external-world skepticism: epistemic externalist
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	26	262
Reject	135	319

n: 742

p < 0.0001

r: 0.25	Grounds of intentionality: phenomenal
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	46	173
Reject	33	330

n: 582

p < 0.0001

r: 0.23	Theory of reference: descriptive
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	89	197
Reject	73	329

n: 688

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Moral motivation: internalism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	253	192
Reject	251	409

n: 1105

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	Hume: skeptic
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	133	146
Reject	129	279

n: 687

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Response to external-world skepticism: abductive
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	89	204
Reject	89	365

n: 747

p < 0.0001

r: -0.18	Extended mind: yes
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	137	173
Reject	286	179

n: 775

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Propositional attitudes: phenomenal
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	29	227
Reject	18	370

n: 644

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Theory of reference: causal
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	128	158
Reject	244	158

n: 688

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Response to external-world skepticism: dogmatist
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	64	227
Reject	44	407

n: 742

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Hard problem of consciousness: yes
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	238	91
Reject	300	198

n: 827

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Grounds of intentionality: inferential
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	33	186
Reject	31	333

n: 583

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Grounds of intentionality: causal/teleological
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	68	151
Reject	158	208

n: 585

p: 0.0002

r: 0.15	Philosophical methods: intuition-based philosophy
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	330	195
Reject	393	431

n: 1349

p < 0.0001

r: -0.14	Mind: physicalism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	261	257
Reject	501	298

n: 1317

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Properties: transcendent universals
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	70	181
Reject	67	292

n: 610

p: 0.0005

r: -0.14	Metaontology: deflationary realism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	51	168
Reject	120	216

n: 555

p: 0.0011

r: 0.14	Proper names: Fregean
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	192	199
Reject	209	393

n: 993

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	395	142
Reject	504	313

n: 1354

p < 0.0001

r: 0.13	Units of selection: genes
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	112	85
Reject	139	167

n: 503

p: 0.0025

r: 0.13	Justification: coherentism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	110	218
Reject	92	344

n: 764

p: 0.0003

r: 0.13	Free will: libertarianism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	144	401
Reject	134	694

n: 1373

p < 0.0001

r: 0.13	Values in science: necessarily value-free
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	73	235
Reject	74	391

n: 773

p: 0.0004

r: 0.13	Race: biological
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	124	355
Reject	135	627

n: 1241

p < 0.0001

r: 0.12	Consciousness: dualism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	100	216
Reject	98	367

n: 781

p: 0.0006

r: 0.12	A priori knowledge: yes
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	459	96
Reject	610	212

n: 1377

p < 0.0001

r: 0.12	Interlevel metaphysics: grounding
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	92	130
Reject	105	245

n: 572

p: 0.0033

r: 0.11	Perceptual experience: qualia theory
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	90	318
Reject	89	520

n: 1017

p: 0.0003

r: -0.11	Philosophical methods: empirical philosophy
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	309	216
Reject	563	261

n: 1349

p < 0.0001

r: 0.11	Method in history of philosophy: analytic/rational reconstruction
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	202	69
Reject	283	173

n: 727

p: 0.0024

r: 0.11	Vagueness: semantic
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	282	177
Reject	345	352

n: 1156

p: 0.0002

r: -0.11	Free will: compatibilism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	321	225
Reject	552	278

n: 1376

p < 0.0001

r: -0.11	Analysis of knowledge: no analysis
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	102	233
Reject	171	324

n: 830

p: 0.0018

r: -0.11	Chinese room: understands
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	56	289
Reject	110	360

n: 815

p: 0.0022

r: 0.11	Causation: primitive
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	78	201
Reject	81	354

n: 714

p: 0.0041

r: 0.11	Rational disagreement: non-permissivism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	89	250
Reject	83	399

n: 821

p: 0.0021

r: -0.11	External world: non-skeptical realism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	445	92
Reject	729	98

n: 1364

p < 0.0001

r: -0.1	Foundations of mathematics: set-theoretic
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	27	163
Reject	51	223

n: 464

p: 0.0245

r: 0.1	Zombies: metaphysically possible
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	171	322
Reject	182	540

n: 1215

p: 0.0003

r: -0.1	Continuum hypothesis: determinate
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	61	99
Reject	92	133

n: 385

p: 0.0442

r: -0.1	Values in science: necessarily value-laden
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	122	186
Reject	221	244

n: 773

p: 0.0049

r: 0.1	Aesthetic experience: pleasure
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	38	161
Reject	41	275

n: 515

p: 0.0222

r: -0.1	Other minds: future AI systems
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	137	214
Reject	239	293

n: 883

p: 0.003

r: 0.1	Normative ethics: deontology
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	212	283
Reject	261	514

n: 1270

p: 0.0004

r: 0.1	External world: skepticism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	46	491
Reject	36	792

n: 1365

p: 0.0003

r: -0.1	Metaphilosophy: naturalism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	239	205
Reject	426	286

n: 1156

p: 0.001

r: 0.09	Perceptual experience: sense-datum theory
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	30	375
Reject	27	580

n: 1012

p: 0.0027

r: 0.09	Analysis of knowledge: other analysis
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	129	207
Reject	157	338

n: 831

p: 0.0075

r: 0.09	Capital punishment: permissible
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	82	260
Reject	82	470

n: 894

p: 0.0058

r: -0.09	Knowledge: empiricism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	227	219
Reject	432	266

n: 1144

p: 0.0018

r: 0.09	Morality: non-naturalism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	110	222
Reject	127	357

n: 816

p: 0.0095

r: 0.09	Personal identity: further-fact view
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	94	348
Reject	115	582

n: 1139

p: 0.0025

r: -0.09	Possible worlds: concrete
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	13	330
Reject	33	485

n: 861

p: 0.0091

r: 0.09	Metaontology: heavyweight realism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	112	108
Reject	138	199

n: 557

p: 0.0363

r: -0.09	Arguments for theism: pragmatic
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	46	249
Reject	82	334

n: 711

p: 0.0188

r: -0.08	Arguments for theism: moral
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	31	266
Reject	47	373

n: 717

p: 0.0254

r: -0.08	Morality: naturalist realism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	104	229
Reject	177	311

n: 821

p: 0.023

r: 0.08	God: theism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	126	411
Reject	148	680

n: 1365

p: 0.0036

r: 0.08	Ought implies can: yes
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	240	102
Reject	346	183

n: 871

p: 0.0201

r: -0.08	Morality: expressivism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	32	301
Reject	62	423

n: 818

p: 0.0255

r: -0.08	Consciousness: eliminativism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	307
Reject	32	433

n: 781

p: 0.0306

r: 0.08	Race categories: revise
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	105	160
Reject	154	304

n: 723

p: 0.0379

r: -0.08	Vagueness: epistemic
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	97	357
Reject	205	491

n: 1150

p: 0.0095

r: -0.08	Other minds: current AI systems
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	342
Reject	19	513

n: 883

p: 0.0254

r: 0.07	Gender: psychological
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	117	345
Reject	168	586

n: 1216

p: 0.0136

r: 0.07	Philosophical methods: conceptual analysis
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	409	116
Reject	609	215

n: 1349

p: 0.0096

r: 0.07	External world: idealism
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	47	491
Reject	50	779

n: 1367

p: 0.0131

r: -0.07	Truth: deflationary
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	129	386
Reject	221	532

n: 1268

p: 0.0186

r: 0.06	Truth: correspondence
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	312	203
Reject	413	341

n: 1269

p: 0.0229

r: -0.06	Zombies: conceivable but not metaphysically possible
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	194	300
Reject	306	418

n: 1218

p: 0.0377

r: 0.06	Aim of philosophy: understanding
Epistemic justification: internalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	339	182
Reject	490	312

n: 1323

p: 0.0332

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: 0.12	AOS: Epistemology
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	184	376
Reject	173	681

n: 1414

p < 0.0001

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Descartes
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	28	394
Reject	18	602

n: 1042

p: 0.0006

r: -0.09	Region of PhD: United Kingdom
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	41	367
Reject	92	497

n: 997

p: 0.0053

r: 0.08	Philosopher: Kant
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	73	349
Reject	76	544

n: 1042

p: 0.008

r: 0.07	Philosopher: Moore
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	20	402
Reject	15	605

n: 1042

p: 0.0189

r: -0.07	AOS: Philosophy of Language
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	83	477
Reject	163	691

n: 1414

p: 0.0086

r: 0.07	Philosopher: Carnap
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	36	386
Reject	30	590

n: 1042

p: 0.0248

r: -0.07	Region of nationality: Europe
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	92	442
Reject	185	617

n: 1336

p: 0.0119

r: 0.07	AOS: Meta-Ethics
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	92	468
Reject	99	755

n: 1414

p: 0.0101

r: -0.07	Philosopher: Wittgenstein
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	35	387
Reject	65	555

n: 1042

p: 0.0295

r: -0.07	Philosopher: Aristotle
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	65	357
Reject	127	493

n: 1042

p: 0.0335

r: -0.06	AOS: Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	44	516
Reject	101	753

n: 1414

p: 0.0177

r: -0.06	Region of affiliation: Europe
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	77	496
Reject	153	711

n: 1437

p: 0.0255

r: -0.06	Tradition: Other tradition
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	33	525
Reject	77	765

n: 1400

p: 0.0363

r: 0.06	Tradition: Analytic
Epistemic justification: internalism	Yes	No
Accept	500	58
Reject	723	119

n: 1400

p: 0.0388