Survey Results

Logic: non-classical or classical?

Population

AOS

Region

for

Exclude answers beyond respondent's first 50

Include skip/insufficiently familiar answers

1415 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:
classical

53.64% (48.69%)

Reject or lean against:
classical

0.00% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
non-classical

26.43% (21.77%)

Reject or lean against:
non-classical

0.07% (0.00%)

Accept a combination of views

5.37%

Accept an alternative view

3.46%

The question is too unclear to answer

6.43%

There is no fact of the matter

4.88%

Agnostic/undecided

8.69%

Other

0.71%

N = 1415, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (370 respondents)

Alternative Views

74 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.

PLUR (34): pluralism (31) pluralist (2) plurality (1)
DEPE (8): depends (6) dependent (1) depend (1)
BOTH (5): both (5)
DIFF (5): different (4) differing (1)

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: classical

51.56%

39.81%

11.75

-6.68

2009	51.56%
2020	39.81%
Change	11.75
Swing	-6.68

Accept or lean towards: non-classical

15.36%

16.98%

1.62

6.68

2009	15.36%
2020	16.98%
Change	1.62
Swing	6.68

Accept a combination of views

6.23%

3.55%

2.68

2009	6.23%
2020	3.55%
Change	2.68

Accept an alternative view

0.86%

2.16%

1.30

2009	0.86%
2020	2.16%
Change	1.30

The question is too unclear to answer

3.44%

6.79%

3.35

2009	3.44%
2020	6.79%
Change	3.35

There is no fact of the matter

3.22%

4.63%

1.41

2009	3.22%
2020	4.63%
Change	1.41

Insufficiently familiar with the issue

12.03%

17.44%

5.41

2009	12.03%
2020	17.44%
Change	5.41

Agnostic/undecided

5.59%

7.1%

1.51

2009	5.59%
2020	7.1%
Change	1.51

Skipped

1.4%

1.39%

0.01

2009	1.4%
2020	1.39%
Change	0.01

Other

0.32%

0.15%

0.17

2009	0.32%
2020	0.15%
Change	0.17

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

Weighted values

Option	2009	2020	Change
Classical	44.95	52.07	7.12
Non-classical	25.73	23.87	1.86

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: 0.38	True contradictions: impossible
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	412	60
Reject	116	102

n: 690

p < 0.0001

r: -0.36	True contradictions: actual
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	31	441
Reject	55	163

n: 690

p < 0.0001

r: -0.24	Metaontology: anti-realism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	20	293
Reject	44	146

n: 503

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	True contradictions: possible but non-actual
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	19	453
Reject	20	198

n: 690

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Vagueness: metaphysical
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	110	520
Reject	120	243

n: 993

p < 0.0001

r: -0.21	Extended mind: yes
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	190	228
Reject	150	78

n: 646

p < 0.0001

r: -0.2	Foundations of mathematics: constructivism/intuitionism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	34	240
Reject	42	116

n: 432

p < 0.0001

r: -0.2	Abortion: permissible
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	389	117
Reject	246	16

n: 768

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	Metaontology: heavyweight realism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	169	147
Reject	62	128

n: 506

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Method in political philosophy: ideal theory
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	123	178
Reject	48	137

n: 486

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Moral principles: moral generalism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	279	152
Reject	98	122

n: 651

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Science: scientific realism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	601	101
Reject	275	118

n: 1095

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Values in science: necessarily value-free
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	106	331
Reject	29	202

n: 668

p < 0.0001

r: -0.18	Morality: constructivism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	61	387
Reject	68	162

n: 678

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Politics: capitalism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	196	235
Reject	60	171

n: 662

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Values in science: necessarily value-laden
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	157	280
Reject	116	115

n: 668

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Continuum hypothesis: determinate
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	110	116
Reject	43	90

n: 359

p: 0.0025

r: 0.16	Justification: nonreliabilist foundationalism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	157	258
Reject	42	162

n: 619

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Truth: epistemic
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	49	629
Reject	65	309

n: 1052

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Morality: expressivism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	41	406
Reject	33	198

n: 678

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	Moral judgment: cognitivism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	532	143
Reject	253	129

n: 1057

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	Cosmological fine-tuning: design
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	98	294
Reject	23	156

n: 571

p: 0.0003

r: 0.15	Gender categories: preserve
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	114	290
Reject	37	193

n: 634

p: 0.0002

r: 0.14	Concepts: nativism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	136	212
Reject	52	152

n: 552

p: 0.0007

r: -0.14	Other minds: future AI systems
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	180	304
Reject	131	125

n: 740

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Knowledge claims: invariantism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	215	395
Reject	82	290

n: 982

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Morality: non-naturalism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	168	278
Reject	47	182

n: 675

p: 0.0004

r: -0.14	Other minds: plants
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	25	459
Reject	26	230

n: 740

p: 0.0002

r: 0.14	Abstract objects: Platonism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	347	315
Reject	143	239

n: 1044

p < 0.0001

r: -0.13	Justification: coherentism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	92	325
Reject	62	142

n: 621

p: 0.0008

r: 0.13	Race categories: preserve
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	38	346
Reject	10	204

n: 598

p: 0.0011

r: 0.13	External world: non-skeptical realism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	640	85
Reject	317	80

n: 1122

p < 0.0001

r: -0.13	Causation: process/production
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	93	326
Reject	62	136

n: 617

p: 0.0013

r: -0.13	Gender categories: revise
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	204	202
Reject	141	89

n: 636

p: 0.0012

r: -0.13	Free will: no free will
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	75	637
Reject	65	335

n: 1112

p < 0.0001

r: -0.12	Spacetime: relationism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	143	173
Reject	86	68

n: 470

p: 0.0067

r: -0.12	Chinese room: understands
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	69	387
Reject	60	171

n: 687

p: 0.0014

r: 0.12	Meta-ethics: moral realism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	510	186
Reject	237	152

n: 1085

p < 0.0001

r: 0.12	Method in history of philosophy: analytic/rational reconstruction
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	281	120
Reject	131	92

n: 624

p: 0.0025

r: 0.12	Truth: correspondence
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	449	231
Reject	189	187

n: 1056

p < 0.0001

r: -0.12	External world: skepticism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	37	689
Reject	34	362

n: 1122

p < 0.0001

r: 0.11	Rational disagreement: non-permissivism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	119	336
Reject	40	191

n: 686

p: 0.003

r: -0.11	Knowledge claims: contextualism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	323	288
Reject	231	142

n: 984

p: 0.0005

r: -0.11	Consciousness: panpsychism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	29	404
Reject	26	201

n: 660

p: 0.0048

r: 0.11	Race: biological
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	169	467
Reject	66	313

n: 1015

p: 0.0005

r: 0.11	God: theism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	199	520
Reject	60	336

n: 1115

p: 0.0003

r: 0.11	Properties: transcendent universals
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	97	268
Reject	26	154

n: 545

p: 0.0116

r: 0.11	Propositional attitudes: representational
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	192	168
Reject	94	107

n: 561

p: 0.0107

r: 0.11	Consciousness: dualism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	138	294
Reject	41	186

n: 659

p: 0.006

r: -0.11	Cosmological fine-tuning: brute fact
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	129	265
Reject	63	115

n: 572

p: 0.0118

r: -0.1	Laws of nature: Humean
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	191	471
Reject	145	239

n: 1046

p: 0.0007

r: 0.1	Grounds of intentionality: causal/teleological
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	134	193
Reject	56	113

n: 496

p: 0.0198

r: -0.1	Possible worlds: concrete
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	24	446
Reject	16	239

n: 725

p: 0.005

r: 0.1	Vagueness: epistemic
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	195	439
Reject	73	288

n: 995

p: 0.0011

r: -0.1	Knowledge: empiricism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	310	290
Reject	208	136

n: 944

p: 0.0014

r: 0.1	Propositions: sets
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	43	343
Reject	11	174

n: 571

p: 0.0147

r: 0.1	Ought implies can: yes
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	335	139
Reject	150	95

n: 719

p: 0.0072

r: 0.1	Capital punishment: permissible
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	109	389
Reject	46	219

n: 763

p: 0.0057

r: -0.1	Response to external-world skepticism: pragmatic
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	82	339
Reject	60	149

n: 630

p: 0.0132

r: 0.1	Propositions: simple entities
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	40	347
Reject	9	176

n: 572

p: 0.0212

r: -0.1	External world: idealism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	40	686
Reject	41	357

n: 1124

p: 0.0013

r: 0.1	Philosophical methods: intuition-based philosophy
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	407	300
Reject	198	216

n: 1121

p: 0.0014

r: -0.09	Morality: error theory
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	25	420
Reject	16	214

n: 675

p: 0.015

r: -0.09	Interlevel metaphysics: realization
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	69	272
Reject	48	110

n: 499

p: 0.0384

r: -0.09	Theory of reference: deflationary
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	59	333
Reject	38	154

n: 584

p: 0.0271

r: 0.09	Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	512	204
Reject	248	159

n: 1123

p: 0.0022

r: -0.09	Propositional attitudes: dispositional
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	121	238
Reject	71	129

n: 559

p: 0.0317

r: -0.09	Semantic content: radical contextualism (most or all)
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	70	289
Reject	67	135

n: 561

p: 0.034

r: -0.09	Consciousness: eliminativism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	21	411
Reject	18	209

n: 659

p: 0.023

r: 0.09	Eating animals and animal products: omnivorism (yes and yes)
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	417	287
Reject	197	211

n: 1112

p: 0.0037

r: 0.09	Environmental ethics: anthropocentric
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	188	203
Reject	83	118

n: 592

p: 0.0367

r: -0.08	Eating animals and animal products: vegetarianism (no and yes)
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	161	544
Reject	125	282

n: 1112

p: 0.0051

r: -0.08	Propositions: acts
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	28	358
Reject	24	161

n: 571

p: 0.0469

r: 0.08	Immortality: yes
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	258	226
Reject	109	144

n: 737

p: 0.0315

r: -0.08	Knowledge claims: relativism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	25	586
Reject	27	344

n: 982

p: 0.0142

r: -0.08	Other minds: particles
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	474
Reject	10	246

n: 740

p: 0.0345

r: -0.08	Mind uploading: survival
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	113	326
Reject	75	138

n: 652

p: 0.0487

r: -0.07	Philosophical methods: conceptual engineering
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	271	436
Reject	191	223

n: 1121

p: 0.012

r: -0.07	Gender: social
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	404	215
Reject	269	105

n: 993

p: 0.0219

r: 0.07	Gender: biological
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	235	380
Reject	112	263

n: 990

p: 0.0223

r: 0.07	Political philosophy: libertarianism
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	108	460
Reject	46	294

n: 908

p: 0.0335

r: 0.07	Aesthetic value: objective
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	363	300
Reject	174	198

n: 1035

p: 0.0265

r: 0.07	Normative ethics: deontology
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	255	407
Reject	115	245

n: 1022

p: 0.0277

r: -0.07	Experience machine: yes
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	88	571
Reject	65	309

n: 1033

p: 0.03

r: 0.07	Personal identity: biological view
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	158	455
Reject	70	258

n: 941

p: 0.0393

r: 0.06	Aim of philosophy: truth/knowledge
Logic: classical	Accept	Reject
Accept	343	346
Reject	183	213

n: 1085

p: 0.0372

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: 0.15	Tradition: Analytic
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	649	81
Reject	328	91

n: 1149

p < 0.0001

r: -0.13	Philosopher: Wittgenstein
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	39	512
Reject	43	286

n: 880

p < 0.0001

r: -0.11	Region of PhD: Oceania
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	13	504
Reject	22	266

n: 805

p: 0.0014

r: 0.11	AOS: Philosophy of Religion
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	91	646
Reject	21	407

n: 1165

p < 0.0001

r: -0.11	AOS: Logic and Philosophy of Logic
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	69	668
Reject	59	369

n: 1165

p: 0.0002

r: -0.11	Tradition: Continental
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	29	701
Reject	39	380

n: 1149

p: 0.0002

r: -0.1	Tradition: Other tradition
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	52	678
Reject	52	367

n: 1149

p: 0.0006

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Aquinas
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	38	513
Reject	8	321

n: 880

p: 0.0029

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Aristotle
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	123	428
Reject	48	281

n: 880

p: 0.0034

r: -0.09	Philosopher: Peirce
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	5	546
Reject	13	316

n: 880

p: 0.0084

r: -0.09	Region of nationality: Oceania
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	23	669
Reject	30	376

n: 1098

p: 0.0035

r: 0.09	AOS: Normative Ethics
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	134	603
Reject	64	364

n: 1165

p: 0.0027

r: -0.09	AOS: Asian Philosophy
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	10	727
Reject	15	413

n: 1165

p: 0.0031

r: 0.08	Region of affiliation: United States
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	447	304
Reject	214	219

n: 1184

p: 0.0044

r: -0.08	Region of affiliation: Canada
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	42	709
Reject	38	395

n: 1184

p: 0.0057

r: -0.08	Philosopher: Marx
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	16	535
Reject	17	312

n: 880

p: 0.0224

r: 0.07	Philosopher: Lewis
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	70	481
Reject	27	302

n: 880

p: 0.0276

r: 0.07	Region of nationality: United States
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	375	317
Reject	187	219

n: 1098

p: 0.0164

r: 0.07	AOS: Decision Theory
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	30	707
Reject	6	422

n: 1165

p: 0.0136

r: -0.07	AOS: Philosophy of Language
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	125	612
Reject	89	339

n: 1165

p: 0.0148

r: -0.07	AOS: 20th Century Philosophy
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	53	684
Reject	50	378

n: 1165

p: 0.0148

r: 0.07	AOS: Philosophy of Mathematics
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	30	707
Reject	10	418

n: 1165

p: 0.0155

r: 0.07	Philosopher: Augustine
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	15	536
Reject	2	327

n: 880

p: 0.0425

r: -0.07	AOS: Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	59	678
Reject	49	379

n: 1165

p: 0.0256

r: -0.06	AOS: Aesthetics
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	32	705
Reject	29	399

n: 1165

p: 0.0318

r: -0.06	AOS: Feminist Philosophy
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	23	714
Reject	25	403

n: 1165

p: 0.0345

r: -0.06	AOS: 19th Century Philosophy
Logic: classical	Yes	No
Accept	26	711
Reject	31	397

n: 1165

p: 0.0375