Survey Results

Normative concepts (which is most fundamental?): reasons, value, ought, or fit?

Population

AOS

Region

for

Exclude answers beyond respondent's first 50

Include skip/insufficiently familiar answers

861 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:
fit

7.32% (4.99%)

Reject or lean against:
fit

1.86% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
ought

14.17% (10.57%)

Reject or lean against:
ought

1.05% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
reasons

25.44% (21.49%)

Reject or lean against:
reasons

0.93% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
value

37.40% (32.75%)

Reject or lean against:
value

0.46% (0.00%)

Accept a combination of views

5.69%

Accept an alternative view

3.60%

The question is too unclear to answer

4.88%

There is no fact of the matter

3.95%

Agnostic/undecided

11.27%

Other

0.81%

N = 861, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (252 respondents)

Most popular option combinations

Options	Number of responses	% of responses
Accept or lean towards: fit Accept or lean towards: ought Accept or lean towards: reasons Accept or lean towards: value	13	1.51%
Accept or lean towards: reasons Accept or lean towards: value	10	1.16%
Accept or lean towards: ought Accept or lean towards: value	8	0.93%
Accept or lean towards: ought Accept or lean towards: reasons	4	0.46%
Accept or lean towards: ought Accept or lean towards: reasons Accept or lean towards: value	4	0.46%

Alternative Views

41 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.

NONE (7): none (7)
RATI (5): rationality (4) rationalism (1)
MOST (4): most (4)
GOOD (4): good (2) goods (2)
PRIO (3): priority (2) prior (1)
EQUA (3): equally (3)

Longitudinal comparison to 2009 survey

This question was not in the 2009 survey

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: 0.25	Normative ethics: deontology
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	74	37
Reject	200	359

n: 670

p < 0.0001

r: 0.2	Belief or credence: neither
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	17	28
Reject	81	341

n: 467

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Normative ethics: consequentialism
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	135	163
Reject	106	267

n: 671

p < 0.0001

r: -0.19	Practical reason: Kantian
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	38	202
Reject	75	231

n: 546

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Normative ethics: deontology
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	105	92
Reject	169	307

n: 673

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Normative ethics: deontology
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	97	201
Reject	178	198

n: 674

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Knowledge claims: relativism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	48
Reject	16	533

n: 604

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Foundations of mathematics: formalism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	5	25
Reject	16	297

n: 343

p: 0.0036

r: 0.16	Practical reason: Kantian
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	34	53
Reject	79	379

n: 545

p: 0.0003

r: 0.15	Practical reason: Kantian
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	54	109
Reject	59	323

n: 545

p: 0.0003

r: 0.15	Temporal ontology: growing block
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	32	76
Reject	53	257

n: 418

p: 0.0016

r: 0.15	Wittgenstein: early
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	77	165
Reject	72	232

n: 546

p: 0.0004

r: 0.15	Response to external-world skepticism: semantic externalist
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	8	39
Reject	43	444

n: 534

p: 0.0005

r: 0.15	Response to external-world skepticism: contextualist
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	13	66
Reject	44	410

n: 533

p: 0.0007

r: -0.15	Spacetime: relationism
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	76	87
Reject	98	103

n: 364

p: 0.0053

r: 0.14	Response to external-world skepticism: contextualist
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	37
Reject	47	439

n: 533

p: 0.0008

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

n: 596

p: 0.0004

r: -0.14	Kant: one world
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	89	106
Reject	125	104

n: 424

p: 0.0032

r: -0.14	Wittgenstein: early
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	35	121
Reject	113	277

n: 546

p: 0.001

r: 0.14	Morality: expressivism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	45
Reject	63	501

n: 618

p: 0.0005

r: 0.14	Aesthetic experience: sui generis
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	37	28
Reject	138	210

n: 413

p: 0.005

r: 0.14	Belief or credence: neither
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	19	58
Reject	80	310

n: 467

p: 0.0029

r: -0.14	Temporal ontology: presentism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	5	33
Reject	84	296

n: 418

p: 0.0056

r: -0.13	Footbridge: push
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	17	94
Reject	159	395

n: 665

p: 0.0005

r: 0.13	Kant: one world
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	48	17
Reject	166	192

n: 423

p: 0.0066

r: 0.13	Normative ethics: virtue ethics
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	33	23
Reject	242	369

n: 667

p: 0.0007

r: -0.13	Normative ethics: consequentialism
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	53	142
Reject	188	287

n: 670

p: 0.0007

r: 0.13	Temporal ontology: growing block
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	13	25
Reject	71	308

n: 417

p: 0.0078

r: 0.13	Quantum mechanics: epistemic
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	18
Reject	34	261

n: 320

p: 0.0206

r: -0.13	Moral judgment: cognitivism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	41	18
Reject	501	128

n: 688

p: 0.0007

r: -0.13	Practical reason: Humean
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	39	126
Reject	137	247

n: 549

p: 0.0027

r: 0.13	Race categories: revise
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	20	23
Reject	165	314

n: 522

p: 0.0037

r: 0.13	Gender: psychological
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	75	192
Reject	75	287

n: 629

p: 0.0015

r: 0.13	Consciousness: eliminativism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	46
Reject	22	488

n: 563

p: 0.0029

r: 0.12	Aim of philosophy: wisdom
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	126	168
Reject	115	252

n: 661

p: 0.0013

r: 0.12	Knowledge claims: contextualism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	40	15
Reject	300	250

n: 605

p: 0.0023

r: 0.12	Footbridge: push
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	96	198
Reject	82	292

n: 668

p: 0.0014

r: 0.12	Free will: libertarianism
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	40	70
Reject	115	472

n: 697

p: 0.0013

r: 0.12	Grounds of intentionality: interpretational
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	31
Reject	56	327

n: 423

p: 0.013

r: 0.12	Well-being: hedonism/experientialism
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	50	197
Reject	29	290

n: 566

p: 0.0042

r: 0.12	Aim of philosophy: happiness
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	53	232
Reject	43	318

n: 646

p: 0.0023

r: 0.12	Political philosophy: libertarianism
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	21	70
Reject	74	418

n: 583

p: 0.0039

r: 0.12	Analysis of knowledge: no analysis
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	24	25
Reject	155	397

n: 601

p: 0.0034

r: 0.12	Practical reason: Humean
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	87	154
Reject	89	219

n: 549

p: 0.0053

r: -0.12	Knowledge claims: invariantism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	6	49
Reject	192	356

n: 603

p: 0.0038

r: 0.12	Practical reason: Humean
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	34
Reject	162	337

n: 547

p: 0.0059

r: -0.12	Method in political philosophy: ideal theory
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	40
Reject	165	266

n: 480

p: 0.0107

r: 0.12	Quantum mechanics: hidden-variables
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	16	32
Reject	56	215

n: 319

p: 0.0388

r: 0.12	Truth: deflationary
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	18	36
Reject	151	436

n: 641

p: 0.0034

r: 0.11	Aim of philosophy: happiness
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	33	159
Reject	63	391

n: 646

p: 0.0034

r: 0.11	Practical reason: Aristotelian
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	120	120
Reject	112	196

n: 548

p: 0.0079

r: 0.11	Response to external-world skepticism: pragmatic
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	20	29
Reject	106	386

n: 541

p: 0.0089

r: -0.11	Trolley problem: switch
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	71	33
Reject	414	114

n: 632

p: 0.005

r: 0.11	Grounds of intentionality: inferential
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	17	100
Reject	26	280

n: 423

p: 0.0217

r: -0.11	Zombies: metaphysically possible
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	76
Reject	156	370

n: 625

p: 0.0055

r: 0.11	Response to external-world skepticism: dogmatist
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	15	65
Reject	75	379

n: 534

p: 0.0105

r: -0.11	Personal identity: psychological view
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	17	33
Reject	286	257

n: 593

p: 0.0078

r: -0.11	Mental content: internalism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	12	37
Reject	164	387

n: 600

p: 0.0076

r: -0.11	Analysis of knowledge: justified true belief
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	20	73
Reject	148	362

n: 603

p: 0.0087

r: -0.11	Method in history of philosophy: analytic/rational reconstruction
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	30	20
Reject	330	160

n: 540

p: 0.0132

r: 0.11	Properties: nonexistent
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	63
Reject	34	332

n: 439

p: 0.0275

r: 0.1	Aim of philosophy: understanding
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	43	15
Reject	370	251

n: 679

p: 0.0062

r: 0.1	Interlevel metaphysics: realization
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	27
Reject	84	298

n: 419

p: 0.0326

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

n: 447

p: 0.0274

r: -0.1	Principle of sufficient reason: true
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	13	36
Reject	207	308

n: 564

p: 0.0133

r: 0.1	Morality: constructivism
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	50	121
Reject	86	363

n: 620

p: 0.0098

r: 0.1	Arguments for theism: design
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	36
Reject	109	380

n: 535

p: 0.0176

r: 0.1	Political philosophy: libertarianism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	11	38
Reject	84	451

n: 584

p: 0.0145

r: -0.1	Temporal ontology: growing block
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	30	157
Reject	54	178

n: 419

p: 0.039

r: 0.1	Well-being: desire satisfaction
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	25	76
Reject	91	374

n: 566

p: 0.0173

r: 0.1	Propositions: acts
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	35
Reject	36	378

n: 456

p: 0.0327

r: 0.1	Race categories: preserve
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	70
Reject	37	403

n: 520

p: 0.024

r: 0.1	Personal identity: further-fact view
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	35
Reject	104	435

n: 588

p: 0.0169

r: -0.1	Philosophical methods: conceptual analysis
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	37	21
Reject	505	133

n: 696

p: 0.0094

r: 0.1	Interlevel metaphysics: grounding
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	16	21
Reject	136	249

n: 422

p: 0.0438

r: 0.1	Personal identity: biological view
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	19	31
Reject	133	410

n: 593

p: 0.0171

r: 0.1	Propositions: structured entities
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	99	111
Reject	108	141

n: 459

p: 0.0374

r: -0.1	Race categories: preserve
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	17	207
Reject	30	267

n: 521

p: 0.0268

r: 0.1	Propositions: simple entities
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	19	191
Reject	16	233

n: 459

p: 0.0406

r: -0.1	Arguments for theism: cosmological
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	35	119
Reject	107	275

n: 536

p: 0.0272

r: 0.09	Properties: nonexistent
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	5	32
Reject	38	365

n: 440

p: 0.0467

r: 0.09	Properties: classes
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	19	106
Reject	33	284

n: 442

p: 0.0473

r: -0.09	Justification: coherentism
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	51	180
Reject	86	213

n: 530

p: 0.0311

r: -0.09	Race categories: eliminate
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	17	26
Reject	221	258

n: 522

p: 0.0332

r: -0.09	Arguments for theism: cosmological
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	16	68
Reject	126	325

n: 535

p: 0.0313

r: 0.09	Vagueness: metaphysical
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	49	124
Reject	84	344

n: 601

p: 0.0253

r: -0.09	Practical reason: Kantian
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	7	40
Reject	105	391

n: 543

p: 0.0348

r: -0.09	A priori knowledge: yes
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	232	75
Reject	337	68

n: 712

p: 0.0166

r: 0.09	Morality: expressivism
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	14	86
Reject	58	460

n: 618

p: 0.0258

r: 0.09	Knowledge: empiricism
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	158	100
Reject	167	157

n: 582

p: 0.0309

r: 0.09	Aim of philosophy: truth/knowledge
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	61	53
Reject	274	291

n: 679

p: 0.0209

r: 0.09	Perceptual experience: disjunctivism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	33
Reject	85	392

n: 520

p: 0.0434

r: 0.09	Knowledge: empiricism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	32	17
Reject	293	238

n: 580

p: 0.0333

r: 0.09	Other minds: worms
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	77	206
Reject	74	280

n: 637

p: 0.0265

r: 0.09	Philosophical methods: formal philosophy
Normative concepts: value	Accept	Reject
Accept	197	105
Reject	230	169

n: 701

p: 0.0212

r: 0.09	Normative ethics: virtue ethics
Normative concepts: reasons	Accept	Reject
Accept	84	112
Reject	191	284

n: 671

p: 0.0254

r: -0.09	Philosophical knowledge: a lot
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	28	23
Reject	366	209

n: 626

p: 0.0312

r: 0.09	Philosophical knowledge: a little
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	20	31
Reject	190	385

n: 626

p: 0.0314

r: -0.09	Human genetic engineering: permissible
Normative concepts: ought	Accept	Reject
Accept	61	39
Reject	358	145

n: 603

p: 0.0351

r: 0.08	Political philosophy: communitarianism
Normative concepts: fit	Accept	Reject
Accept	23	27
Reject	166	369

n: 585

p: 0.0399

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: -0.16	Philosopher: Aristotle
Normative concepts: ought	Yes	No
Accept	8	89
Reject	117	356

n: 570

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Philosopher: Kant
Normative concepts: value	Yes	No
Accept	26	220
Reject	62	266

n: 574

p: 0.0002

r: 0.14	Region of nationality: Latin America
Normative concepts: reasons	Yes	No
Accept	7	197
Reject	2	491

n: 697

p: 0.0002

r: 0.12	Philosopher: Frege
Normative concepts: ought	Yes	No
Accept	15	82
Reject	36	437

n: 570

p: 0.0038

r: 0.12	AOS: Philosophy of Biology
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	6	57
Reject	23	640

n: 726

p: 0.0016

r: 0.12	Region of affiliation: Latin America
Normative concepts: reasons	Yes	No
Accept	7	210
Reject	2	515

n: 734

p: 0.0016

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Kant
Normative concepts: reasons	Yes	No
Accept	37	126
Reject	51	361

n: 575

p: 0.0059

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Dewey
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	6	42
Reject	11	512

n: 571

p: 0.0066

r: 0.11	Philosopher: Hume
Normative concepts: value	Yes	No
Accept	47	199
Reject	47	281

n: 574

p: 0.0106

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Hegel
Normative concepts: reasons	Yes	No
Accept	11	152
Reject	8	404

n: 575

p: 0.0138

r: 0.1	AOS: Philosophy of Law
Normative concepts: ought	Yes	No
Accept	10	111
Reject	19	587

n: 727

p: 0.0056

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Davidson
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	5	43
Reject	16	507

n: 571

p: 0.0154

r: 0.1	Tradition: Other tradition
Normative concepts: ought	Yes	No
Accept	17	101
Reject	35	564

n: 717

p: 0.0069

r: 0.1	AOS: Philosophy of Mathematics
Normative concepts: reasons	Yes	No
Accept	9	203
Reject	9	509

n: 730

p: 0.0068

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Quine
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	6	42
Reject	35	488

n: 571

p: 0.0188

r: 0.1	Other demographics: YOB
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	26	32
Reject	289	335

n: 682

p: 0.0122

r: -0.09	AOS: 20th Century Philosophy
Normative concepts: value	Yes	No
Accept	13	302
Reject	30	386

n: 731

p: 0.0108

r: -0.09	AOS: Normative Ethics
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	14	49
Reject	175	488

n: 726

p: 0.0115

r: 0.09	Philosopher: Quine
Normative concepts: ought	Yes	No
Accept	9	88
Reject	32	441

n: 570

p: 0.029

r: 0.09	AOS: Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	10	53
Reject	52	611

n: 726

p: 0.014

r: -0.09	AOS: Philosophy of Religion
Normative concepts: reasons	Yes	No
Accept	11	201
Reject	55	463

n: 730

p: 0.0151

r: 0.09	Philosopher: Spinoza
Normative concepts: value	Yes	No
Accept	10	236
Reject	4	324

n: 574

p: 0.0316

r: -0.09	Philosopher: Kant
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	7	41
Reject	80	443

n: 571

p: 0.0336

r: -0.09	Philosopher: Anscombe
Normative concepts: value	Yes	No
Accept	6	240
Reject	16	312

n: 574

p: 0.0344

r: 0.09	AOS: Philosophy of Action
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	13	50
Reject	47	616

n: 726

p: 0.0177

r: 0.09	Philosopher: Rawls
Normative concepts: reasons	Yes	No
Accept	17	146
Reject	19	393

n: 575

p: 0.0382

r: 0.08	Region of affiliation: Europe
Normative concepts: ought	Yes	No
Accept	29	92
Reject	86	524

n: 731

p: 0.0226

r: 0.08	Philosopher: Wittgenstein
Normative concepts: ought	Yes	No
Accept	13	84
Reject	36	437

n: 570

p: 0.0473

r: 0.08	AOS: General Philosophy of Science
Normative concepts: fit	Yes	No
Accept	7	56
Reject	59	604

n: 726

p: 0.0266

r: 0.08	AOS: Philosophy of Physical Science
Normative concepts: value	Yes	No
Accept	13	302
Reject	8	408

n: 731

p: 0.0374

r: 0.08	Region of nationality: Europe
Normative concepts: ought	Yes	No
Accept	33	84
Reject	109	468

n: 694

p: 0.0458

r: 0.08	AOS: 17th/18th Century Philosophy
Normative concepts: ought	Yes	No
Accept	19	102
Reject	52	554

n: 727

p: 0.0419

r: 0.08	AOS: Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy
Normative concepts: reasons	Yes	No
Accept	19	193
Reject	28	490

n: 730

p: 0.0419