Survey Results

Time: B-theory or A-theory?

Population

AOS

Region

for

Exclude answers beyond respondent's first 50

Include skip/insufficiently familiar answers

1123 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:
A-theory

27.25% (24.84%)

Reject or lean against:
A-theory

0.53% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
B-theory

38.20% (35.71%)

Reject or lean against:
B-theory

0.62% (0.00%)

Accept a combination of views

3.29%

Accept an alternative view

3.47%

The question is too unclear to answer

4.45%

There is no fact of the matter

3.65%

Agnostic/undecided

23.42%

Other

1.16%

N = 1123, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (662 respondents)

Alternative Views

56 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 (7): both (7)
RELA (5): relativity (3) relationalism (1) relational (1)
CTHE (5): c-theory (5)
TEMP (4): temporal (3) temporality (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: A-theory

15.47%

13.89%

1.58

-1.83

2009	15.47%
2020	13.89%
Change	1.58
Swing	-1.83

Accept or lean towards: B-theory

26.32%

28.4%

2.08

1.83

2009	26.32%
2020	28.4%
Change	2.08
Swing	1.83

Accept a combination of views

5.05%

2.16%

2.89

2009	5.05%
2020	2.16%
Change	2.89

Accept an alternative view

1.4%

1.54%

0.14

2009	1.4%
2020	1.54%
Change	0.14

The question is too unclear to answer

2.04%

2.47%

0.43

2009	2.04%
2020	2.47%
Change	0.43

There is no fact of the matter

1.83%

2.78%

0.95

2009	1.83%
2020	2.78%
Change	0.95

Insufficiently familiar with the issue

30.83%

28.4%

2.43

2009	30.83%
2020	28.4%
Change	2.43

Agnostic/undecided

10.53%

17.28%

6.75

2009	10.53%
2020	17.28%
Change	6.75

Skipped

5.69%

2.31%

3.38

2009	5.69%
2020	2.31%
Change	3.38

Other

0.86%

0.77%

0.09

2009	0.86%
2020	0.77%
Change	0.09

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

Weighted values

Option	2009	2020	Change
A-theory	25.27	22.02	3.25
B-theory	36.77	32.33	4.44

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: -0.7	Temporal ontology: eternalism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	24	144
Reject	241	125

n: 534

p < 0.0001

r: 0.59	Temporal ontology: presentism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	79	90
Reject	21	345

n: 535

p < 0.0001

r: 0.37	Temporal ontology: growing block
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	55	112
Reject	41	325

n: 533

p < 0.0001

r: -0.32	Other minds: future AI systems
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	52	146
Reject	219	208

n: 625

p < 0.0001

r: -0.31	Practical reason: Humean
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	27	127
Reject	133	182

n: 469

p < 0.0001

r: -0.3	Time travel: metaphysically possible
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	72	110
Reject	224	177

n: 583

p < 0.0001

r: 0.27	Free will: libertarianism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	113	178
Reject	84	553

n: 928

p < 0.0001

r: 0.27	Consciousness: dualism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	78	84
Reject	70	339

n: 571

p < 0.0001

r: -0.26	Mind: physicalism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	113	163
Reject	411	212

n: 899

p < 0.0001

r: 0.26	Meaning of life: objective
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	143	112
Reject	168	350

n: 773

p < 0.0001

r: 0.25	Practical reason: Aristotelian
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	91	63
Reject	102	212

n: 468

p < 0.0001

r: 0.24	God: theism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	103	183
Reject	96	530

n: 912

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	Human genetic engineering: permissible
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	110	72
Reject	302	101

n: 585

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	Law: legal positivism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	46	71
Reject	103	128

n: 348

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	Laws of nature: Humean
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	60	223
Reject	202	394

n: 879

p < 0.0001

r: 0.23	Belief or credence: belief
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	75	86
Reject	80	248

n: 489

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Free will: compatibilism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	140	151
Reject	441	198

n: 930

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Belief or credence: credence
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	46	115
Reject	125	203

n: 489

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Material composition: restrictivism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	70	54
Reject	98	164

n: 386

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Aesthetic value: objective
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	171	96
Reject	263	331

n: 861

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Metaphilosophy: naturalism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	100	140
Reject	338	196

n: 774

p < 0.0001

r: -0.21	Chinese room: understands
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	169
Reject	89	308

n: 589

p < 0.0001

r: -0.2	Mind uploading: survival
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	35	148
Reject	129	262

n: 574

p < 0.0001

r: -0.2	Abortion: permissible
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	148	56
Reject	373	62

n: 639

p < 0.0001

r: -0.2	Material composition: universalism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	32	92
Reject	93	169

n: 386

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Meta-ethics: moral realism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	226	62
Reject	390	229

n: 907

p < 0.0001

r: -0.19	Consciousness: functionalism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	38	125
Reject	179	230

n: 572

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Well-being: objective list
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	112	52
Reject	195	162

n: 521

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Cosmological fine-tuning: design
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	58	110
Reject	54	295

n: 517

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Hume: skeptic
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	77	71
Reject	113	225

n: 486

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Well-being: desire satisfaction
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	24	141
Reject	80	277

n: 522

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Personal identity: further-fact view
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	81	166
Reject	76	460

n: 783

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Cosmological fine-tuning: multiverse
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	19	151
Reject	66	281

n: 517

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Arguments for theism: cosmological
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	66	105
Reject	81	274

n: 526

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Moral judgment: cognitivism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	239	45
Reject	422	173

n: 879

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Gender: biological
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	113	155
Reject	153	390

n: 811

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Normative ethics: consequentialism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	72	192
Reject	229	353

n: 846

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Truth: deflationary
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	52	218
Reject	176	417

n: 863

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Causation: primitive
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	59	106
Reject	73	296

n: 534

p: 0.0002

r: 0.16	Gender categories: preserve
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	59	118
Reject	78	281

n: 536

p: 0.0002

r: -0.16	Causation: counterfactual/difference-making
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	49	119
Reject	155	216

n: 539

p: 0.0003

r: -0.16	Extended mind: yes
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	74	100
Reject	205	175

n: 554

p: 0.0002

r: 0.16	Morality: non-naturalism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	84	104
Reject	99	301

n: 588

p: 0.0002

r: -0.15	Personal identity: psychological view
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	98	152
Reject	284	254

n: 788

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	Vagueness: metaphysical
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	82	179
Reject	106	459

n: 826

p < 0.0001

r: -0.15	Meaning of life: subjective
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	76	179
Reject	236	284

n: 775

p < 0.0001

r: -0.15	Knowledge: empiricism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	98	121
Reject	312	219

n: 750

p < 0.0001

r: -0.14	Footbridge: push
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	56	218
Reject	167	431

n: 872

p < 0.0001

r: -0.14	Teletransporter: survival
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	86	172
Reject	229	321

n: 808

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Grounds of intentionality: primitive
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	37	107
Reject	31	268

n: 443

p: 0.0029

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

n: 634

p: 0.0006

r: 0.14	Principle of sufficient reason: true
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	77	101
Reject	121	260

n: 559

p: 0.0012

r: -0.14	Units of selection: genes
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	54	57
Reject	125	114

n: 350

p: 0.0109

r: 0.13	Properties: immanent universals
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	52	113
Reject	60	270

n: 495

p: 0.0033

r: 0.13	Normative ethics: virtue ethics
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	135	132
Reject	212	369

n: 848

p < 0.0001

r: -0.13	Philosophical methods: empirical philosophy
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	162	120
Reject	414	208

n: 904

p < 0.0001

r: -0.13	Meaning of life: nonexistent
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	41	209
Reject	112	403

n: 765

p: 0.0005

r: 0.12	Response to external-world skepticism: dogmatist
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	42	117
Reject	46	333

n: 538

p: 0.005

r: -0.12	Other minds: current AI systems
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	6	192
Reject	17	410

n: 625

p: 0.0027

r: 0.12	Truth: correspondence
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	187	84
Reject	344	249

n: 864

p: 0.0004

r: -0.12	Trolley problem: switch
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	184	70
Reject	439	155

n: 848

p: 0.0005

r: 0.12	Aim of philosophy: wisdom
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	104	172
Reject	168	405

n: 849

p: 0.0007

r: 0.11	Interlevel metaphysics: grounding
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	64	80
Reject	100	198

n: 442

p: 0.0164

r: 0.11	Concepts: nativism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	66	80
Reject	100	214

n: 460

p: 0.0145

r: 0.11	Knowledge claims: invariantism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	98	155
Reject	151	409

n: 813

p: 0.0012

r: 0.11	Abstract objects: Platonism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	158	106
Reject	254	344

n: 862

p: 0.0009

r: 0.11	Political philosophy: communitarianism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	91	147
Reject	130	361

n: 729

p: 0.003

r: 0.11	Hard problem of consciousness: yes
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	129	61
Reject	250	158

n: 598

p: 0.0075

r: -0.11	Response to external-world skepticism: contextualist
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	141
Reject	56	324

n: 535

p: 0.0135

r: -0.11	Properties: classes
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	152
Reject	47	282

n: 495

p: 0.0179

r: -0.11	Cosmological fine-tuning: no fine-tuning
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	34	134
Reject	81	266

n: 515

p: 0.016

r: -0.11	Knowledge claims: relativism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	11	242
Reject	33	528

n: 814

p: 0.0027

r: 0.1	Arguments for theism: moral
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	24	148
Reject	29	321

n: 522

p: 0.0167

r: -0.1	Quantum mechanics: many-worlds
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	16	96
Reject	66	195

n: 373

p: 0.0435

r: 0.1	Normative concepts: reasons
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	52	96
Reject	69	230

n: 447

p: 0.0274

r: -0.1	Race categories: revise
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	50	113
Reject	140	201

n: 504

p: 0.0203

r: -0.09	Gender categories: revise
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	83	94
Reject	198	162

n: 537

p: 0.0277

r: -0.09	Philosophical methods: conceptual engineering
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	117	165
Reject	289	333

n: 904

p: 0.0047

r: -0.09	Properties: tropes
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	28	138
Reject	66	265

n: 497

p: 0.0374

r: 0.09	Normative ethics: deontology
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	107	155
Reject	192	389

n: 843

p: 0.0067

r: -0.09	Morality: constructivism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	28	161
Reject	74	326

n: 589

p: 0.0248

r: -0.09	Causation: nonexistent
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	5	162
Reject	16	351

n: 534

p: 0.0332

r: 0.09	Perceptual experience: disjunctivism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	56	166
Reject	79	419

n: 720

p: 0.0135

r: -0.09	Experience machine: yes
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	29	249
Reject	88	518

n: 884

p: 0.0067

r: 0.09	Philosophical methods: conceptual analysis
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	222	60
Reject	447	175

n: 904

p: 0.0065

r: -0.09	Morality: error theory
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	178
Reject	30	369

n: 584

p: 0.0292

r: 0.09	Philosophical methods: intuition-based philosophy
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	172	110
Reject	329	293

n: 904

p: 0.0067

r: 0.09	Aim of philosophy: goodness/justice
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	77	200
Reject	119	447

n: 843

p: 0.0105

r: 0.09	Aim of philosophy: happiness
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	49	225
Reject	69	485

n: 828

p: 0.0117

r: -0.09	Perceptual experience: representationalism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	98	125
Reject	238	262

n: 723

p: 0.019

r: 0.09	Race: biological
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	67	204
Reject	116	442

n: 829

p: 0.0128

r: 0.09	Causation: process/production
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	52	116
Reject	90	281

n: 539

p: 0.0465

r: -0.09	Perceptual experience: sense-datum theory
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	8	214
Reject	31	463

n: 716

p: 0.0218

r: 0.08	A priori knowledge: yes
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	249	45
Reject	497	136

n: 927

p: 0.0166

r: 0.08	Personal identity: biological view
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	76	174
Reject	128	410

n: 788

p: 0.0311

r: 0.08	Zombies: metaphysically possible
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	97	175
Reject	157	424

n: 853

p: 0.0254

r: -0.08	Vagueness: semantic
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	141	122
Reject	340	227

n: 830

p: 0.0278

r: -0.07	Knowledge claims: contextualism
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	139	114
Reject	311	251

n: 815

p: 0.0378

r: -0.07	Eating animals and animal products: veganism (no and no)
Time: A-theory	Accept	Reject
Accept	41	249
Reject	130	494

n: 914

p: 0.0449

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: -0.21	Philosopher: Hume
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	19	204
Reject	105	369

n: 697

p < 0.0001

r: -0.18	Philosopher: Lewis
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	16	207
Reject	71	403

n: 697

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Philosopher: Quine
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	9	214
Reject	67	407

n: 697

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Philosopher: Anscombe
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	15	208
Reject	8	466

n: 697

p < 0.0001

r: -0.14	Tradition: Analytic
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	244	47
Reject	594	54

n: 939

p < 0.0001

r: 0.13	Philosopher: Aquinas
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	20	203
Reject	13	461

n: 697

p: 0.0006

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Merleau-Ponty
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	9	214
Reject	4	470

n: 697

p: 0.0028

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Plato
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	23	200
Reject	21	453

n: 697

p: 0.0031

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Hegel
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	9	214
Reject	6	468

n: 697

p: 0.0044

r: 0.1	AOS: Continental Philosophy
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	19	277
Reject	14	647

n: 957

p: 0.0014

r: 0.1	Tradition: Other tradition
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	29	262
Reject	39	609

n: 939

p: 0.002

r: 0.1	AOS: Philosophy of Religion
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	47	249
Reject	49	612

n: 957

p: 0.002

r: 0.09	Philosopher: Heidegger
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	8	215
Reject	3	471

n: 697

p: 0.0133

r: 0.09	AOS: Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	13	283
Reject	15	646

n: 957

p: 0.0037

r: -0.09	AOS: Philosophy of Physical Science
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	12	284
Reject	38	623

n: 957

p: 0.0071

r: 0.09	Tradition: Continental
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	18	273
Reject	15	633

n: 939

p: 0.0086

r: 0.08	Philosopher: Aristotle
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	49	174
Reject	80	394

n: 697

p: 0.0276

r: 0.08	Region of nationality: Europe
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	68	216
Reject	108	502

n: 894

p: 0.0168

r: 0.08	AOS: 19th Century Philosophy
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	16	280
Reject	21	640

n: 957

p: 0.0188

r: 0.07	AOS: 20th Century Philosophy
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	26	270
Reject	34	627

n: 957

p: 0.0299

r: -0.07	Region of nationality: Oceania
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	12	272
Reject	38	572

n: 894

p: 0.0375

r: -0.07	Other demographics: YOB
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	126	158
Reject	314	296

n: 894

p: 0.0438

r: 0.07	Region of affiliation: Latin America
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	6	299
Reject	5	661

n: 971

p: 0.0426

r: 0.06	AOS: Social and Political Philosophy
Time: A-theory	Yes	No
Accept	37	259
Reject	69	592

n: 957

p: 0.0467