Survey Results

Time travel: metaphysically possible or metaphysically impossible?

Population

AOS

Region

for

Exclude answers beyond respondent's first 50

Include skip/insufficiently familiar answers

948 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:
metaphysically possible

42.30% (42.30%)

Reject or lean against:
metaphysically possible

0.00% (0.00%)

Accept or lean towards:
metaphysically impossible

41.03% (41.03%)

Reject or lean against:
metaphysically impossible

0.00% (0.00%)

Accept a combination of views

0.00%

Accept an alternative view

1.27%

The question is too unclear to answer

2.64%

There is no fact of the matter

1.90%

Agnostic/undecided

10.65%

Other

0.21%

N = 948, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (199 respondents)

Alternative Views

16 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.

BACK (5): backwards (3) backward (2)
FORW (4): forward (3) forwards (1)
PHYS (4): physically (4)
FUTU (3): future (3)

Longitudinal comparison to 2009 survey

This question was not in the 2009 survey

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: 0.36	Temporal ontology: eternalism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	168	113
Reject	78	180

n: 539

p < 0.0001

r: -0.33	Temporal ontology: presentism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	33	248
Reject	78	180

n: 539

p < 0.0001

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

n: 583

p < 0.0001

r: 0.3	Mind uploading: survival
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	138	185
Reject	70	287

n: 680

p < 0.0001

r: 0.29	Other minds: future AI systems
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	177	162
Reject	135	268

n: 742

p < 0.0001

r: 0.25	Practical reason: Humean
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	108	140
Reject	82	244

n: 574

p < 0.0001

r: 0.23	Teletransporter: survival
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	176	165
Reject	129	259

n: 729

p < 0.0001

r: -0.23	Free will: libertarianism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	61	322
Reject	124	330

n: 837

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Causation: counterfactual/difference-making
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	135	159
Reject	99	217

n: 610

p < 0.0001

r: 0.22	Units of selection: genes
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	112	81
Reject	99	143

n: 435

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	Law: legal positivism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	95	99
Reject	80	153

n: 427

p < 0.0001

r: 0.21	Human genetic engineering: permissible
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	251	65
Reject	240	135

n: 691

p < 0.0001

r: -0.2	Principle of sufficient reason: true
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	105	207
Reject	156	205

n: 673

p < 0.0001

r: -0.19	Causation: primitive
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	55	236
Reject	94	219

n: 604

p < 0.0001

r: 0.19	Quantum mechanics: many-worlds
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	66	145
Reject	25	176

n: 412

p < 0.0001

r: -0.19	Practical reason: Aristotelian
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	87	160
Reject	157	169

n: 573

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Belief or credence: credence
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	109	156
Reject	75	208

n: 548

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Mind: physicalism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	243	133
Reject	225	207

n: 808

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Chinese room: understands
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	80	235
Reject	56	310

n: 681

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Free will: compatibilism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	263	121
Reject	262	194

n: 840

p < 0.0001

r: -0.17	Belief or credence: belief
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	72	193
Reject	114	169

n: 548

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Personal identity: psychological view
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	188	133
Reject	170	210

n: 701

p < 0.0001

r: 0.17	Philosophical methods: empirical philosophy
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	264	118
Reject	275	178

n: 835

p < 0.0001

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

n: 396

p: 0.0016

r: 0.15	Philosophical methods: conceptual engineering
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	189	193
Reject	174	279

n: 835

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	Aesthetic experience: perception
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	68	122
Reject	71	184

n: 445

p: 0.0011

r: -0.15	Temporal ontology: growing block
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	50	231
Reject	48	208

n: 537

p: 0.0004

r: 0.15	Material composition: universalism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	88	124
Reject	47	137

n: 396

p: 0.0025

r: -0.15	Gender: biological
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	97	239
Reject	157	252

n: 745

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	Normative ethics: consequentialism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	148	208
Reject	125	287

n: 768

p < 0.0001

r: 0.15	Cosmological fine-tuning: multiverse
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	63	215
Reject	40	258

n: 576

p: 0.0005

r: 0.14	Metaphilosophy: naturalism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	192	124
Reject	197	187

n: 700

p < 0.0001

r: -0.14	Normative ethics: virtue ethics
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	123	235
Reject	201	212

n: 771

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Footbridge: push
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	112	257
Reject	87	333

n: 789

p < 0.0001

r: -0.14	Spacetime: relationism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	102	136
Reject	118	103

n: 459

p: 0.0023

r: 0.14	Philosophical methods: formal philosophy
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	262	120
Reject	260	193

n: 835

p < 0.0001

r: 0.14	Morality: expressivism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	39	278
Reject	33	335

n: 685

p: 0.0003

r: -0.14	Aesthetic experience: sui generis
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	70	120
Reject	117	137

n: 444

p: 0.0035

r: 0.14	Consciousness: functionalism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	133	180
Reject	114	234

n: 661

p: 0.0005

r: -0.13	Aim of philosophy: wisdom
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	101	256
Reject	177	264

n: 798

p: 0.0003

r: 0.13	Propositional attitudes: representational
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	146	113
Reject	139	151

n: 549

p: 0.003

r: 0.12	Race: social
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	248	89
Reject	285	142

n: 764

p: 0.0005

r: -0.12	Quantum mechanics: epistemic
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	18	193
Reject	37	163

n: 411

p: 0.0127

r: 0.12	Truth: deflationary
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	116	241
Reject	93	319

n: 769

p: 0.0009

r: -0.12	Gender: psychological
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	63	271
Reject	119	294

n: 747

p: 0.0016

r: 0.11	Gender: social
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	249	88
Reject	277	138

n: 752

p: 0.0021

r: -0.11	Possible worlds: nonexistent
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	90	242
Reject	133	256

n: 721

p: 0.0028

r: 0.11	Grounds of intentionality: inferential
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	31	196
Reject	19	229

n: 475

p: 0.019

r: -0.11	Arguments for theism: cosmological
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	74	222
Reject	100	222

n: 618

p: 0.0075

r: -0.11	Meta-ethics: moral realism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	261	121
Reject	328	119

n: 829

p: 0.0021

r: -0.11	Aesthetic value: objective
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	167	181
Reject	228	198

n: 774

p: 0.0034

r: 0.1	Possible worlds: concrete
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	24	309
Reject	16	373

n: 722

p: 0.0058

r: 0.1	Interlevel metaphysics: identity
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	42	202
Reject	29	229

n: 502

p: 0.0222

r: 0.1	Possible worlds: abstract
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	207	126
Reject	227	162

n: 722

p: 0.0066

r: 0.1	Abortion: permissible
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	290	54
Reject	316	86

n: 746

p: 0.007

r: -0.1	Eating animals and animal products: omnivorism (yes and yes)
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	189	185
Reject	251	205

n: 830

p: 0.0048

r: 0.1	Philosophical methods: experimental philosophy
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	132	250
Reject	146	307

n: 835

p: 0.0048

r: 0.1	Knowledge: empiricism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	180	135
Reject	192	177

n: 684

p: 0.0109

r: 0.1	Perceptual experience: representationalism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	146	139
Reject	155	183

n: 623

p: 0.0153

r: -0.1	Meaning of life: objective
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	115	202
Reject	178	216

n: 711

p: 0.0104

r: 0.1	Concepts: nativism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	99	151
Reject	93	207

n: 550

p: 0.0244

r: 0.1	Race categories: revise
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	103	162
Reject	118	217

n: 600

p: 0.0193

r: -0.1	Response to external-world skepticism: epistemic externalist
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	50	239
Reject	75	249

n: 613

p: 0.0184

r: -0.09	Philosophical progress: none
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	9	378
Reject	19	439

n: 845

p: 0.0057

r: -0.09	Analysis of knowledge: justified true belief
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	77	263
Reject	105	261

n: 706

p: 0.012

r: 0.09	Grounds of intentionality: interpretational
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	37	189
Reject	40	211

n: 477

p: 0.04

r: -0.09	Semantic content: radical contextualism (most or all)
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	58	196
Reject	84	203

n: 541

p: 0.0301

r: -0.09	Well-being: objective list
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	149	124
Reject	210	120

n: 603

p: 0.0221

r: -0.09	True contradictions: possible but non-actual
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	10	305
Reject	22	323

n: 660

p: 0.0169

r: -0.09	Race: unreal
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	45	284
Reject	79	336

n: 744

p: 0.0117

r: -0.09	Consciousness: panpsychism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	16	297
Reject	41	307

n: 661

p: 0.0184

r: 0.09	Other minds: current AI systems
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	13	326
Reject	12	391

n: 742

p: 0.014

r: -0.09	Race categories: eliminate
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	114	151
Reject	155	179

n: 599

p: 0.0273

r: -0.09	Hume: skeptic
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	91	162
Reject	147	184

n: 584

p: 0.0306

r: 0.09	Eating animals and animal products: veganism (no and no)
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	83	291
Reject	78	376

n: 828

p: 0.0101

r: 0.09	Semantic content: moderate contextualism (intermediate)
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	160	94
Reject	141	146

n: 541

p: 0.0399

r: 0.09	Well-being: desire satisfaction
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	64	210
Reject	62	268

n: 604

p: 0.0299

r: 0.09	Propositions: sets
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	37	223
Reject	22	264

n: 546

p: 0.0395

r: -0.09	Moral judgment: cognitivism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	276	97
Reject	333	101

n: 807

p: 0.0126

r: 0.09	Cosmological fine-tuning: brute fact
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	96	182
Reject	81	217

n: 576

p: 0.0363

r: 0.09	Zombies: metaphysically possible
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	122	231
Reject	109	305

n: 767

p: 0.0162

r: -0.09	Perceptual experience: disjunctivism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	39	243
Reject	66	270

n: 618

p: 0.0313

r: 0.09	Philosophical progress: a lot
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	205	182
Reject	197	262

n: 846

p: 0.012

r: -0.08	Propositions: acts
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	15	245
Reject	32	254

n: 546

p: 0.0476

r: -0.08	Personal identity: further-fact view
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	56	261
Reject	86	292

n: 695

p: 0.0262

r: 0.08	Vagueness: semantic
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	221	132
Reject	192	194

n: 739

p: 0.0235

r: 0.08	Other minds: cats
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	323	16
Reject	361	42

n: 742

p: 0.0237

r: -0.08	Proper names: Fregean
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	122	178
Reject	127	175

n: 602

p: 0.0435

r: 0.08	Arguments for theism: design
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	82	215
Reject	62	259

n: 618

p: 0.0463

r: -0.08	Personal identity: biological view
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	75	246
Reject	99	281

n: 701

p: 0.0398

r: 0.08	A priori knowledge: yes
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	324	62
Reject	353	112

n: 851

p: 0.0238

r: 0.08	Laws of nature: Humean
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	121	242
Reject	127	298

n: 788

p: 0.0303

r: -0.08	Political philosophy: communitarianism
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	84	221
Reject	135	241

n: 681

p: 0.0442

r: 0.08	Meaning of life: nonexistent
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	76	240
Reject	75	315

n: 706

p: 0.0424

r: 0.08	Philosophical knowledge: a lot
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Accept	Reject
Accept	221	121
Reject	217	170

n: 729

p: 0.0402

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: 0.2	Philosopher: Lewis
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	59	243
Reject	24	356

n: 682

p < 0.0001

r: 0.18	Other demographics: YOB
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	203	170
Reject	182	264

n: 819

p < 0.0001

r: -0.16	Philosopher: Aquinas
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	8	294
Reject	32	348

n: 682

p < 0.0001

r: 0.16	Tradition: Analytic
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	359	28
Reject	392	78

n: 857

p < 0.0001

r: -0.13	Tradition: Other tradition
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	18	369
Reject	53	417

n: 857

p < 0.0001

r: 0.13	AOS: Metaphysics
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	134	257
Reject	112	368

n: 871

p < 0.0001

r: -0.13	Philosopher: Aristotle
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	47	255
Reject	89	291

n: 682

p: 0.001

r: 0.13	AOS: Decision Theory
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	19	372
Reject	4	476

n: 871

p: 0.0002

r: -0.12	Philosopher: Wittgenstein
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	19	283
Reject	43	337

n: 682

p: 0.0016

r: -0.12	AOS: Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	8	383
Reject	24	456

n: 871

p: 0.0004

r: 0.12	AOS: General Philosophy of Science
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	63	328
Reject	41	439

n: 871

p: 0.0006

r: -0.11	Region of nationality: Canada
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	18	355
Reject	44	409

n: 826

p: 0.0016

r: 0.11	Region of PhD: Oceania
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	24	293
Reject	8	319

n: 644

p: 0.0056

r: -0.11	AOS: Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	15	376
Reject	33	447

n: 871

p: 0.0013

r: -0.1	Philosopher: Anscombe
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	5	297
Reject	17	363

n: 682

p: 0.0067

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Carnap
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	28	274
Reject	16	364

n: 682

p: 0.0077

r: 0.1	Philosopher: Quine
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	40	262
Reject	27	353

n: 682

p: 0.0082

r: 0.09	Philosopher: Hume
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	62	240
Reject	55	325

n: 682

p: 0.0156

r: -0.09	AOS: Continental Philosophy
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	6	385
Reject	23	457

n: 871

p: 0.0106

r: -0.09	AOS: Social and Political Philosophy
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	39	352
Reject	76	404

n: 871

p: 0.0108

r: -0.09	AOS: 19th Century Philosophy
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	8	383
Reject	26	454

n: 871

p: 0.0115

r: -0.08	AOS: Philosophy of Action
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	20	371
Reject	44	436

n: 871

p: 0.0126

r: -0.08	Philosopher: Kant
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	36	266
Reject	59	321

n: 682

p: 0.0304

r: 0.08	AOS: Philosophy of Physical Science
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	23	368
Reject	13	467

n: 871

p: 0.0163

r: -0.08	AOS: Normative Ethics
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	71	320
Reject	115	365

n: 871

p: 0.0205

r: 0.08	AOS: Logic and Philosophy of Logic
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	54	337
Reject	33	447

n: 871

p: 0.0216

r: -0.08	Tradition: Continental
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	10	377
Reject	25	445

n: 857

p: 0.0239

r: -0.08	Philosopher: Plato
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	17	285
Reject	26	354

n: 682

p: 0.0462

r: 0.07	Region of nationality: Oceania
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	29	344
Reject	18	435

n: 826

p: 0.0328

r: -0.07	AOS: Philosophy of Law
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	7	384
Reject	16	464

n: 871

p: 0.0417

r: -0.07	Region of affiliation: Canada
Time travel: metaphysically possible	Yes	No
Accept	17	379
Reject	39	449

n: 884

p: 0.0493