Survey Results

Material composition: universalism, nihilism, or restrictivism?

Population

AOS

Region

for

Exclude answers beyond respondent's first 50

Include skip/insufficiently familiar answers

574 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:
nihilism

8.19% (7.67%)

Reject or lean against:
nihilism

0.35% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
restrictivism

35.02% (34.67%)

Reject or lean against:
restrictivism

0.70% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
universalism

27.35% (26.31%)

Reject or lean against:
universalism

0.00% (0.00%)

Accept a combination of views

1.22%

Accept an alternative view

2.79%

The question is too unclear to answer

4.36%

There is no fact of the matter

8.54%

Agnostic/undecided

14.11%

Other

0.35%

N = 574, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (558 respondents)

Most popular option combinations

Options	Number of responses	% of responses
Accept or lean towards: nihilism Accept or lean towards: universalism	3	0.52%
Accept or lean towards: restrictivism Accept or lean towards: universalism	2	0.35%
Accept or lean towards: universalism	1	0.17%

Longitudinal comparison to 2009 survey

This question was not in the 2009 survey

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: 0.32	Properties: nonexistent
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	18
Reject	27	313

n: 368

p < 0.0001

r: -0.28	Laws of nature: Humean
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	33	163
Reject	89	168

n: 453

p < 0.0001

r: 0.28	Theory of reference: deflationary
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	23
Reject	37	277

n: 346

p < 0.0001

r: 0.27	Laws of nature: Humean
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	21	19
Reject	101	312

n: 453

p < 0.0001

r: 0.27	Metaontology: anti-realism
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	8	19
Reject	21	289

n: 337

p < 0.0001

r: 0.26	Meaning of life: nonexistent
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	23
Reject	63	290

n: 390

p < 0.0001

r: 0.25	Causation: nonexistent
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	8	27
Reject	10	334

n: 379

p < 0.0001

r: 0.25	Temporal ontology: eternalism
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	87	45
Reject	105	146

n: 383

p < 0.0001

r: -0.25	Cosmological fine-tuning: multiverse
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	16	141
Reject	46	147

n: 350

p < 0.0001

r: 0.25	Propositions: nonexistent
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	13	17
Reject	43	295

n: 368

p < 0.0001

r: 0.24	Meaning of life: objective
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	97	73
Reject	90	134

n: 394

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	Personal identity: psychological view
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	62	116
Reject	129	97

n: 404

p < 0.0001

r: 0.23	Other minds: future AI systems
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	75	63
Reject	104	173

n: 415

p < 0.0001

r: 0.23	Aesthetic value: objective
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	115	63
Reject	120	129

n: 427

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	Mind uploading: survival
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	34	139
Reject	79	151

n: 403

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	Well-being: objective list
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	56	54
Reject	151	87

n: 348

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	Truth: correspondence
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	17	21
Reject	260	133

n: 431

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Cosmological fine-tuning: multiverse
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	23
Reject	53	265

n: 350

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Temporal ontology: eternalism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	69	94
Reject	123	97

n: 383

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Belief or credence: credence
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	36	100
Reject	78	128

n: 342

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Other minds: newborn babies
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	30	7
Reject	339	39

n: 415

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Law: legal positivism
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	36	37
Reject	59	111

n: 243

p: 0.0005

r: -0.22	Practical reason: Humean
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	27	100
Reject	69	114

n: 310

p < 0.0001

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

n: 386

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Science: scientific realism
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	28	12
Reject	352	58

n: 450

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Quantum mechanics: many-worlds
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	93
Reject	44	114

n: 265

p: 0.0004

r: 0.22	Personal identity: psychological view
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	83	47
Reject	108	166

n: 404

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	Practical reason: Aristotelian
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	66	61
Reject	70	112

n: 309

p: 0.0002

r: 0.21	Properties: immanent universals
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	58	111
Reject	32	167

n: 368

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	Practical reason: Humean
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	45	58
Reject	51	156

n: 310

p: 0.0002

r: 0.21	Cosmological fine-tuning: design
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	54	102
Reject	32	160

n: 348

p < 0.0001

r: -0.21	Normative ethics: consequentialism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	42	134
Reject	89	147

n: 412

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	Propositions: sets
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	22	98
Reject	18	231

n: 369

p < 0.0001

r: -0.21	Propositions: sets
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	152
Reject	31	177

n: 369

p < 0.0001

r: -0.21	Law: legal positivism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	33	66
Reject	62	82

n: 243

p: 0.0011

r: -0.21	Other minds: future AI systems
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	61	116
Reject	118	120

n: 415

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	Belief or credence: credence
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	53	70
Reject	61	158

n: 342

p < 0.0001

r: -0.21	Abstract objects: Platonism
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	27
Reject	227	165

n: 433

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	External world: skepticism
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	37
Reject	17	402

n: 463

p < 0.0001

r: -0.2	External world: non-skeptical realism
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	35	10
Reject	373	45

n: 463

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	Well-being: objective list
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	102	45
Reject	105	96

n: 348

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	Well-being: hedonism/experientialism
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	21	89
Reject	26	210

n: 346

p: 0.0002

r: -0.2	Practical reason: Aristotelian
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	32	70
Reject	104	103

n: 309

p: 0.0004

r: -0.2	Propositional attitudes: representational
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	16
Reject	179	133

n: 337

p: 0.0003

r: 0.2	Quantum mechanics: many-worlds
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	29	68
Reject	29	139

n: 265

p: 0.0013

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

n: 386

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Truth: epistemic
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	5	33
Reject	27	364

n: 429

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Quantum mechanics: many-worlds
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	5	18
Reject	53	189

n: 265

p: 0.0017

r: -0.19	Gender categories: eliminate
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	144
Reject	43	161

n: 358

p: 0.0003

r: 0.19	Gender categories: eliminate
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	29	86
Reject	24	219

n: 358

p: 0.0003

r: -0.19	God: theism
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	26	123
Reject	98	208

n: 455

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	God: theism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	69	120
Reject	55	211

n: 455

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Mind uploading: survival
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	56	78
Reject	57	212

n: 403

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Free will: libertarianism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	62	133
Reject	44	222

n: 461

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Belief or credence: belief
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	59	77
Reject	59	147

n: 342

p: 0.0005

r: -0.19	Meaning of life: objective
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	46	73
Reject	141	134

n: 394

p: 0.0002

r: -0.18	Temporal ontology: presentism
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	117
Reject	60	191

n: 382

p: 0.0003

r: 0.18	Properties: classes
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	18	103
Reject	19	228

n: 368

p: 0.0005

r: -0.18	Teletransporter: survival
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	57	120
Reject	101	142

n: 420

p: 0.0002

r: -0.18	Belief or credence: belief
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	32	91
Reject	86	133

n: 342

p: 0.0009

r: -0.18	Footbridge: push
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	32	154
Reject	80	177

n: 443

p: 0.0002

r: -0.18	Well-being: hedonism/experientialism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	12	135
Reject	35	164

n: 346

p: 0.0009

r: 0.18	True contradictions: possible but non-actual
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	5	30
Reject	16	352

n: 403

p: 0.0003

r: 0.18	Temporal ontology: presentism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	43	120
Reject	31	188

n: 382

p: 0.0006

r: 0.18	Cosmological fine-tuning: brute fact
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	40	74
Reject	56	180

n: 350

p: 0.001

r: 0.17	Meaning of life: subjective
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	53	66
Reject	80	195

n: 394

p: 0.0005

r: -0.17	Cosmological fine-tuning: design
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	100
Reject	72	162

n: 348

p: 0.0011

r: 0.17	Truth: deflationary
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	16	22
Reject	102	290

n: 430

p: 0.0003

r: 0.17	Vagueness: epistemic
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	58	126
Reject	56	198

n: 438

p: 0.0003

r: 0.17	Chinese room: understands
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	26
Reject	72	294

n: 401

p: 0.0006

r: -0.17	True contradictions: impossible
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	26	9
Reject	297	71

n: 403

p: 0.0006

r: 0.17	Knowledge claims: invariantism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	82	89
Reject	92	155

n: 418

p: 0.0005

r: -0.17	Properties: classes
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	159
Reject	27	172

n: 368

p: 0.0011

r: 0.17	Causation: counterfactual/difference-making
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	55	67
Reject	78	183

n: 383

p: 0.0009

r: -0.17	Gender: biological
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	28
Reject	122	237

n: 396

p: 0.0007

r: 0.17	Metaontology: heavyweight realism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	91	52
Reject	85	111

n: 339

p: 0.0019

r: 0.17	Causation: primitive
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	57	103
Reject	40	180

n: 380

p: 0.001

r: 0.17	Response to external-world skepticism: contextualist
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	27	104
Reject	19	222

n: 372

p: 0.0012

r: -0.17	Experience machine: yes
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	15	168
Reject	40	216

n: 439

p: 0.0005

r: -0.16	Metaontology: heavyweight realism
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	12	15
Reject	164	148

n: 339

p: 0.0023

r: 0.16	Well-being: desire satisfaction
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	28	82
Reject	44	194

n: 348

p: 0.002

r: 0.16	Cosmological fine-tuning: multiverse
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	26	88
Reject	36	200

n: 350

p: 0.002

r: -0.16	Eating animals and animal products: omnivorism (yes and yes)
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	20	25
Reject	232	181

n: 458

p: 0.0004

r: 0.16	Grounds of intentionality: interpretational
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	6	17
Reject	42	244

n: 309

p: 0.004

r: 0.16	Footbridge: push
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	51	97
Reject	61	234

n: 443

p: 0.0006

r: 0.16	Personal identity: biological view
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	58	120
Reject	56	170

n: 404

p: 0.0011

r: -0.16	Aesthetic value: objective
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	15	25
Reject	220	167

n: 427

p: 0.0009

r: 0.16	Perceptual experience: disjunctivism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	32	124
Reject	31	187

n: 374

p: 0.002

r: 0.16	Abortion: permissible
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	122	20
Reject	211	67

n: 420

p: 0.0011

r: -0.16	Time travel: metaphysically possible
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	79	89
Reject	133	95

n: 396

p: 0.0016

r: -0.16	Metaphilosophy: naturalism
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	71	93
Reject	133	97

n: 394

p: 0.0017

r: -0.16	Response to external-world skepticism: contextualist
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	13	143
Reject	33	183

n: 372

p: 0.0024

r: -0.16	Free will: libertarianism
Material composition: universalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	24	129
Reject	82	226

n: 461

p: 0.0007

r: 0.16	Foundations of mathematics: constructivism/intuitionism
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	15
Reject	28	220

n: 270

p: 0.01

r: -0.16	Moral judgment: cognitivism
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	27	16
Reject	328	73

n: 444

p: 0.001

r: 0.16	Truth: correspondence
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	132	48
Reject	145	106

n: 431

p: 0.0012

r: 0.15	Eating animals and animal products: omnivorism (yes and yes)
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	120	73
Reject	132	133

n: 458

p: 0.0009

r: -0.15	Properties: nonexistent
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	12	157
Reject	25	174

n: 368

p: 0.003

r: 0.15	Quantum mechanics: epistemic
Material composition: restrictivism	Accept	Reject
Accept	16	91
Reject	15	143

n: 265

p: 0.0127

r: 0.15	Semantic content: radical contextualism (most or all)
Material composition: nihilism	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	21
Reject	54	261

n: 346

p: 0.0046

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: 0.27	Philosopher: Lewis
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	45	76
Reject	29	212

n: 362

p < 0.0001

r: -0.26	AOS: Metaphysics
Material composition: nihilism	Yes	No
Accept	11	36
Reject	195	237

n: 479

p < 0.0001

r: -0.26	Philosopher: Lewis
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	20	125
Reject	54	163

n: 362

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Philosopher: Carnap
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	18	103
Reject	4	237

n: 362

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	Philosopher: Aquinas
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	17	128
Reject	5	212

n: 362

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	AOS: Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	17	182
Reject	1	279

n: 479

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	Gender: female
Material composition: nihilism	Yes	No
Accept	12	33
Reject	41	384

n: 470

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	Philosopher: Anscombe
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	12	133
Reject	3	214

n: 362

p < 0.0001

r: -0.21	Gender: male
Material composition: nihilism	Yes	No
Accept	33	12
Reject	383	42

n: 470

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	AOS: Asian Philosophy
Material composition: nihilism	Yes	No
Accept	5	42
Reject	5	427

n: 479

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Philosopher: Aristotle
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	40	105
Reject	32	185

n: 362

p: 0.001

r: 0.17	AOS: Philosophy of Language
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	55	102
Reject	57	265

n: 479

p: 0.0002

r: 0.17	AOS: Philosophy of Religion
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	38	161
Reject	27	253

n: 479

p: 0.0002

r: -0.17	AOS: Philosophy of Religion
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	10	147
Reject	55	267

n: 479

p: 0.0003

r: 0.16	Gender: male
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	185	10
Reject	231	44

n: 470

p: 0.0004

r: -0.16	Gender: female
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	10	185
Reject	43	232

n: 470

p: 0.0005

r: 0.15	AOS: Philosophy of Action
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	25	174
Reject	15	265

n: 479

p: 0.0007

r: 0.14	AOS: Applied Ethics
Material composition: nihilism	Yes	No
Accept	8	39
Reject	34	398

n: 479

p: 0.0015

r: -0.14	AOS: Philosophy of Action
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	5	152
Reject	35	287

n: 479

p: 0.0024

r: 0.12	Philosopher: Russell
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	20	101
Reject	15	226

n: 362

p: 0.0234

r: -0.12	Philosopher: Aristotle
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	18	103
Reject	54	187

n: 362

p: 0.0237

r: -0.12	AOS: Philosophy of Language
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	34	165
Reject	78	202

n: 479

p: 0.0093

r: 0.12	Region of nationality: Oceania
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	12	138
Reject	14	287

n: 451

p: 0.0117

r: -0.12	AOS: Logic and Philosophy of Logic
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	14	185
Reject	41	239

n: 479

p: 0.0102

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Leibniz
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	16	129
Reject	11	206

n: 362

p: 0.0291

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Descartes
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	11	134
Reject	7	210

n: 362

p: 0.0296

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Augustine
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	7	138
Reject	4	213

n: 362

p: 0.0316

r: 0.11	AOS: Decision Theory
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	10	147
Reject	5	317

n: 479

p: 0.0135

r: 0.11	Region of nationality: United States
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	118	69
Reject	142	122

n: 451

p: 0.0188

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Wittgenstein
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	14	131
Reject	12	205

n: 362

p: 0.0379

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Kant
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	25	120
Reject	20	197

n: 362

p: 0.0465

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Hume
Material composition: nihilism	Yes	No
Accept	9	27
Reject	50	276

n: 362

p: 0.047

r: 0.1	Region of affiliation: Oceania
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	12	145
Reject	13	309

n: 479

p: 0.0262

r: 0.1	AOS: Logic and Philosophy of Logic
Material composition: universalism	Yes	No
Accept	26	131
Reject	29	293

n: 479

p: 0.0371

r: -0.09	AOS: Metaphilosophy
Material composition: restrictivism	Yes	No
Accept	12	187
Reject	19	261

n: 479

p: 0.0421