Survey Results

Moral principles: moral generalism or moral particularism?

Population

AOS

Region

for

Exclude answers beyond respondent's first 50

Include skip/insufficiently familiar answers

984 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:
moral generalism

54.57% (52.95%)

Reject or lean against:
moral generalism

0.41% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
moral particularism

33.74% (32.01%)

Reject or lean against:
moral particularism

0.41% (0.00%)

Accept a combination of views

2.13%

Accept an alternative view

1.22%

The question is too unclear to answer

2.95%

There is no fact of the matter

1.02%

Agnostic/undecided

7.11%

Other

0.61%

N = 984, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (175 respondents)

Alternative Views

17 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.

SPEC (3): specific (2) specifications (1)
CONT (3): contextualism (1) context (1) content (1)

Longitudinal comparison to 2009 survey

This question was not in the 2009 survey

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: -0.4	Normative ethics: virtue ethics
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	132	356
Reject	187	137

n: 812

p < 0.0001

r: 0.28	Method in political philosophy: ideal theory
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	150	178
Reject	55	173

n: 556

p < 0.0001

r: 0.25	Practical reason: Kantian
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	107	250
Reject	25	232

n: 614

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	Practical reason: Aristotelian
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	119	240
Reject	132	126

n: 617

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Truth: correspondence
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	315	160
Reject	146	179

n: 800

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Truth: deflationary
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	104	370
Reject	121	204

n: 799

p < 0.0001

r: -0.22	Perceptual experience: disjunctivism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	54	316
Reject	64	200

n: 634

p < 0.0001

r: -0.2	Political philosophy: communitarianism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	103	310
Reject	112	195

n: 720

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	Metaontology: heavyweight realism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	151	127
Reject	68	132

n: 478

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	Political philosophy: egalitarianism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	252	162
Reject	130	178

n: 722

p < 0.0001

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

n: 651

p < 0.0001

r: -0.19	True contradictions: actual
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	41	348
Reject	49	221

n: 659

p < 0.0001

r: -0.18	Semantic content: radical contextualism (most or all)
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	56	251
Reject	87	148

n: 542

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Wittgenstein: early
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	118	231
Reject	54	238

n: 641

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Science: scientific realism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	421	72
Reject	241	95

n: 829

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Rational disagreement: non-permissivism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	108	294
Reject	39	257

n: 698

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Analysis of knowledge: no analysis
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	108	300
Reject	129	164

n: 701

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	True contradictions: impossible
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	316	73
Reject	185	85

n: 659

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Knowledge: empiricism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	210	205
Reject	186	112

n: 713

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Semantic content: moderate contextualism (intermediate)
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	190	117
Reject	112	123

n: 542

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Analysis of knowledge: other analysis
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	160	248
Reject	75	218

n: 701

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	382	124
Reject	218	140

n: 864

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Propositional attitudes: representational
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	184	144
Reject	103	137

n: 568

p: 0.0005

r: 0.14	A priori knowledge: yes
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	434	77
Reject	275	93

n: 879

p < 0.0001

r: -0.14	Normative concepts: fit
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	21	350
Reject	30	195

n: 596

p: 0.0004

r: 0.14	Normative ethics: deontology
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	224	267
Reject	94	228

n: 813

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Temporal ontology: eternalism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	138	155
Reject	87	133

n: 513

p: 0.0017

r: 0.14	Method in history of philosophy: analytic/rational reconstruction
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	262	99
Reject	167	109

n: 637

p: 0.0005

r: -0.14	Values in science: necessarily value-laden
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	155	230
Reject	149	137

n: 671

p: 0.0004

r: -0.14	Material composition: restrictivism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	86	139
Reject	73	80

n: 378

p: 0.0079

r: 0.14	Belief or credence: credence
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	125	203
Reject	65	160

n: 553

p: 0.0013

r: 0.14	Quantum mechanics: many-worlds
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	50	171
Reject	27	140

n: 388

p: 0.0073

r: -0.14	Metaontology: anti-realism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	26	250
Reject	40	160

n: 476

p: 0.003

r: 0.13	Concepts: nativism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	119	185
Reject	77	179

n: 560

p: 0.0017

r: 0.13	Values in science: necessarily value-free
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	78	307
Reject	37	249

n: 671

p: 0.0006

r: -0.13	Political philosophy: libertarianism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	61	351
Reject	55	250

n: 717

p: 0.0005

r: 0.13	Aim of philosophy: truth/knowledge
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	258	222
Reject	147	202

n: 829

p: 0.0003

r: 0.12	Normative ethics: consequentialism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	213	278
Reject	96	224

n: 811

p: 0.0004

r: 0.12	Law: legal positivism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	129	159
Reject	61	114

n: 463

p: 0.0076

r: -0.12	Propositional attitudes: dispositional
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	99	228
Reject	100	139

n: 566

p: 0.0033

r: 0.12	Grounds of intentionality: causal/teleological
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	109	169
Reject	68	137

n: 483

p: 0.0067

r: 0.12	Propositions: structured entities
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	147	156
Reject	83	147

n: 533

p: 0.0047

r: 0.12	Response to external-world skepticism: abductive
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	108	259
Reject	55	215

n: 637

p: 0.0022

r: -0.12	Philosophical knowledge: none
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	6	426
Reject	16	298

n: 746

p: 0.001

r: -0.12	Theory of reference: deflationary
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	44	294
Reject	57	183

n: 578

p: 0.0041

r: -0.12	Vagueness: metaphysical
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	77	352
Reject	79	228

n: 736

p: 0.0013

r: -0.12	Interlevel metaphysics: realization
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	60	226
Reject	59	144

n: 489

p: 0.0096

r: -0.12	Foundations of mathematics: constructivism/intuitionism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	35	191
Reject	36	130

n: 392

p: 0.0206

r: 0.12	Philosophical methods: intuition-based philosophy
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	301	202
Reject	175	191

n: 869

p: 0.0006

r: -0.11	External world: skepticism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	490
Reject	33	327

n: 873

p: 0.0009

r: 0.11	Properties: transcendent universals
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	80	217
Reject	37	180

n: 514

p: 0.0118

r: -0.11	Quantum mechanics: epistemic
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	18	203
Reject	33	133

n: 387

p: 0.03

r: 0.11	Meta-ethics: moral realism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	390	111
Reject	229	136

n: 866

p: 0.0014

r: -0.11	Truth: epistemic
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	41	433
Reject	43	280

n: 797

p: 0.0027

r: 0.11	External world: non-skeptical realism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	460	53
Reject	295	63

n: 871

p: 0.0018

r: 0.11	Philosophical methods: formal philosophy
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	327	176
Reject	203	163

n: 869

p: 0.0018

r: -0.1	Belief or credence: neither
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	63	264
Reject	56	168

n: 551

p: 0.0138

r: 0.1	Hard problem of consciousness: yes
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	287	123
Reject	172	119

n: 701

p: 0.0059

r: 0.1	Units of selection: genes
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	127	122
Reject	87	98

n: 434

p: 0.0336

r: -0.1	External world: idealism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	490
Reject	31	329

n: 873

p: 0.0026

r: 0.1	Perceptual experience: representationalism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	188	184
Reject	108	157

n: 637

p: 0.0109

r: -0.1	Propositions: nonexistent
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	40	262
Reject	49	180

n: 531

p: 0.0219

r: 0.1	Moral judgment: cognitivism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	416	93
Reject	247	104

n: 860

p: 0.0043

r: -0.1	Other minds: plants
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	22	413
Reject	28	292

n: 755

p: 0.0078

r: -0.1	Metaontology: deflationary realism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	76	201
Reject	63	137

n: 477

p: 0.0353

r: 0.1	Philosophical knowledge: a lot
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	279	154
Reject	183	131

n: 747

p: 0.0092

r: 0.09	Interlevel metaphysics: grounding
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	113	178
Reject	68	134

n: 493

p: 0.0363

r: -0.09	Propositions: acts
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	20	283
Reject	32	197

n: 532

p: 0.0297

r: -0.09	Properties: tropes
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	51	246
Reject	41	176

n: 514

p: 0.0354

r: 0.09	Immortality: yes
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	225	209
Reject	134	178

n: 746

p: 0.0118

r: -0.09	Morality: error theory
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	20	417
Reject	17	290

n: 744

p: 0.0123

r: 0.09	Personal identity: psychological view
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	235	200
Reject	145	155

n: 735

p: 0.0137

r: 0.09	Arguments for theism: design
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	93	274
Reject	45	217

n: 629

p: 0.0237

r: -0.09	Consciousness: eliminativism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	15	378
Reject	18	252

n: 663

p: 0.0207

r: -0.09	True contradictions: possible but non-actual
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	17	372
Reject	13	257

n: 659

p: 0.0222

r: 0.09	Cosmological fine-tuning: multiverse
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	56	282
Reject	29	200

n: 567

p: 0.0347

r: 0.09	Arguments for theism: cosmological
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	102	266
Reject	69	192

n: 629

p: 0.028

r: -0.09	Extended mind: yes
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	191	188
Reject	156	117

n: 652

p: 0.0262

r: 0.08	Knowledge claims: invariantism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	144	275
Reject	92	232

n: 743

p: 0.0208

r: -0.08	Other minds: worms
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	103	332
Reject	89	231

n: 755

p: 0.0217

r: -0.08	Morality: expressivism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	44	396
Reject	42	265

n: 747

p: 0.024

r: -0.08	Normative concepts: reasons
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	104	268
Reject	63	161

n: 596

p: 0.0452

r: 0.08	Justification: nonreliabilist foundationalism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	125	242
Reject	69	202

n: 638

p: 0.0385

r: 0.08	Mental content: internalism
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	140	303
Reject	87	222

n: 752

p: 0.0263

r: 0.08	Ought implies can: yes
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	319	123
Reject	202	117

n: 761

p: 0.0262

r: -0.08	Response to external-world skepticism: pragmatic
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	77	292
Reject	71	200

n: 640

p: 0.0443

r: -0.08	Meaning of life: nonexistent
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	76	351
Reject	75	236

n: 738

p: 0.0313

r: 0.08	Footbridge: push
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	141	356
Reject	72	253

n: 822

p: 0.0273

r: 0.08	Philosophical methods: conceptual analysis
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	401	102
Reject	252	114

n: 869

p: 0.0234

r: -0.08	Aim of philosophy: understanding
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	287	191
Reject	235	116

n: 829

p: 0.0307

r: -0.07	Laws of nature: Humean
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	127	337
Reject	117	204

n: 785

p: 0.0456

r: -0.07	Aim of philosophy: wisdom
Moral principles: moral generalism	Accept	Reject
Accept	154	310
Reject	137	207

n: 808

p: 0.0466

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: 0.2	Philosopher: Kant
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	83	316
Reject	22	273

n: 694

p < 0.0001

r: -0.2	Philosopher: Wittgenstein
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	19	380
Reject	44	251

n: 694

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	AOS: Normative Ethics
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	164	364
Reject	60	323

n: 911

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Philosopher: Rawls
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	38	361
Reject	4	291

n: 694

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Philosopher: Parfit
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	29	370
Reject	3	292

n: 694

p < 0.0001

r: 0.13	AOS: Applied Ethics
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	95	433
Reject	34	349

n: 911

p < 0.0001

r: -0.13	Philosopher: Davidson
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	6	393
Reject	19	276

n: 694

p: 0.0008

r: -0.13	AOS: 20th Century Philosophy
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	22	506
Reject	40	343

n: 911

p < 0.0001

r: -0.12	Philosopher: Anscombe
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	6	393
Reject	16	279

n: 694

p: 0.0012

r: 0.12	Philosopher: Sidgwick
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	7	392
Reject	0	295

n: 694

p: 0.0015

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Mill
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	33	366
Reject	13	282

n: 694

p: 0.008

r: -0.1	Philosopher: Nietzsche
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	6	393
Reject	10	285

n: 694

p: 0.0091

r: -0.1	AOS: Logic and Philosophy of Logic
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	35	493
Reject	45	338

n: 911

p: 0.004

r: -0.09	Philosopher: Putnam
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	9	390
Reject	15	280

n: 694

p: 0.0142

r: 0.09	AOS: Social and Political Philosophy
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	104	424
Reject	51	332

n: 911

p: 0.0082

r: 0.08	Philosopher: Popper
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	9	390
Reject	0	295

n: 694

p: 0.0341

r: 0.08	Philosopher: Moore
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	19	380
Reject	9	286

n: 694

p: 0.041

r: -0.08	Philosopher: Heidegger
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	5	394
Reject	9	286

n: 694

p: 0.0415

r: -0.08	AOS: Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	40	488
Reject	43	340

n: 911

p: 0.0195

r: -0.08	Tradition: Continental
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	16	504
Reject	21	359

n: 900

p: 0.0206

r: -0.08	Philosopher: Aristotle
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	72	327
Reject	65	230

n: 694

p: 0.0444

r: 0.07	AOS: Philosophy of Law
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	22	506
Reject	8	375

n: 911

p: 0.029

r: 0.07	AOS: Meta-Ethics
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	98	430
Reject	51	332

n: 911

p: 0.0343

r: 0.07	Tradition: Analytic
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	464	56
Reject	326	54

n: 900

p: 0.0379

r: 0.07	AOS: Decision Theory
Moral principles: moral generalism	Yes	No
Accept	25	503
Reject	8	375

n: 911

p: 0.0396