Philosophical Correlations
Public opinion research on philosophers was long in coming, but the results have been worth the wait. Here are a bunch of tables summarizing the correlations between philosophers’ positions. Some are surprisingly low considering that they’re near-tautological. “Moral judgment: cognitivism” only has a .57 correlation with “Meta-ethics: moral realism.” But there are many substantive findings.
A few highlights:
Meta-ethics: moral realism has a .42 correlation with Aesthetic value: objective, a .30 correlation with Science: scientific realism, and a .23 correlation with Free will: libertarianism.
Free will: libertarianism has a -.19 correlation with Normative ethics:consequentialism, a -.18 correlation with Politics: egalitarianism, and a .14 correlation with Politics: libertarianism.
Overall, my package of views matches the philosophy profession’s correlations well. The main exception: Given my other views, you’d expect me to be a theist, which has a .40 correlation with Free will: libertarianism, a -.20 correlation with Politics: egalitarianism, a .20 correlation with Normative ethics: consequentialism, and a .18 correlation with Meta-ethics: moral realism. Tyler Cowen will likely be amused.
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