The PhilPapers SurveysHighest linear correlations (Back to contents)

Correlations with: Laws of nature:Humean

N = 931 (target faculty). Cut-off = +/-0.05

n < 10 omitted. Some redundant or trivial correlations are not shown.

Jump to: Main Survey questions | Philosophical orientation | Background questions

flip contingency tables

Main Survey questions

Answer Corrrelation coefficient
Meta-ethics:moral anti-realism0.317
moral anti-realism moral realism
Humean
49.3%(110/223)
43.4%(97/223)
non-Humean
19.8%(106/535)
72.7%(389/535)
Response pairs: 840   p-value: < 0.001
Abstract objects:nominalism0.303
nominalism Platonism
Humean
61%(138/226)
32.3%(73/226)
non-Humean
29.2%(156/533)
60.6%(323/533)
Response pairs: 839   p-value: < 0.001
Science:scientific anti-realism0.299
scientific anti-realism scientific realism
Humean
24.1%(55/228)
67.1%(153/228)
non-Humean
7.1%(39/543)
87.2%(474/543)
Response pairs: 848   p-value: < 0.001
Moral judgment:non-cognitivism0.272
non-cognitivism cognitivism
Humean
33.3%(72/216)
56.4%(122/216)
non-Humean
14.5%(77/529)
78.8%(417/529)
Response pairs: 822   p-value: < 0.001
Truth:deflationary0.267
deflationary not deflationary
Humean
42.6%(90/211)
53.5%(113/211)
non-Humean
18.9%(99/523)
76.2%(399/523)
Response pairs: 808   p-value: < 0.001
Knowledge:empiricism0.261
empiricism rationalism
Humean
63.7%(146/229)
18.7%(43/229)
non-Humean
34.4%(188/545)
41.8%(228/545)
Response pairs: 855   p-value: < 0.001
not Truth:correspondence0.26
correspondence not correspondence
Humean
37.4%(79/211)
58.7%(124/211)
non-Humean
64.8%(339/523)
30.4%(159/523)
Response pairs: 808   p-value: < 0.001
Metaphilosophy:naturalism0.245
naturalism non-naturalism
Humean
72.9%(154/211)
16.1%(34/211)
non-Humean
47.7%(248/519)
36.9%(192/519)
Response pairs: 809   p-value: < 0.001
A priori knowledge:no0.233
no yes
Humean
32%(73/228)
59.6%(136/228)
non-Humean
13.5%(74/547)
79.8%(437/547)
Response pairs: 857   p-value: < 0.001
Normative ethics:consequentialism0.229
consequentialism not consequentialism
Humean
44.3%(90/203)
42.8%(87/203)
non-Humean
20.3%(97/477)
67%(320/477)
Response pairs: 749   p-value: < 0.001
External world:skepticism0.22
skepticism not skepticism
Humean
9.2%(21/226)
84.9%(192/226)
non-Humean
3.4%(19/546)
94.1%(514/546)
Response pairs: 852   p-value: < 0.001
Aesthetic value:subjective0.198
subjective objective
Humean
53.8%(119/221)
33.9%(75/221)
non-Humean
33.3%(178/533)
52.7%(281/533)
Response pairs: 833   p-value: < 0.001
Mind:physicalism0.17
physicalism non-physicalism
Humean
71.1%(163/229)
19.2%(44/229)
non-Humean
52.1%(285/547)
36.1%(198/547)
Response pairs: 857   p-value: < 0.001
Analytic-synthetic distinction:no0.163
no yes
Humean
37.5%(86/229)
57.2%(131/229)
non-Humean
22.3%(122/546)
72.5%(396/546)
Response pairs: 858   p-value: < 0.001
Truth:epistemic0.162
epistemic not epistemic
Humean
12.3%(26/211)
83.8%(177/211)
non-Humean
5.7%(30/523)
89.4%(468/523)
Response pairs: 808   p-value: < 0.001
Teletransporter:survival0.143
survival death
Humean
51%(100/196)
28.5%(56/196)
non-Humean
39.2%(195/497)
40.2%(200/497)
Response pairs: 768   p-value: < 0.001
not Free will:libertarianism0.143
libertarianism not libertarianism
Humean
6.7%(15/222)
86.4%(192/222)
non-Humean
19%(102/535)
73%(391/535)
Response pairs: 839   p-value: < 0.001
Personal identity:psychological view0.13
psychological view not psychological view
Humean
44.4%(88/198)
35.3%(70/198)
non-Humean
35.8%(176/491)
45%(221/491)
Response pairs: 763   p-value: < 0.001
not Normative ethics:deontology0.127
deontology not deontology
Humean
20.6%(42/203)
66.5%(135/203)
non-Humean
35.2%(168/477)
52.2%(249/477)
Response pairs: 749   p-value: < 0.001
Perceptual experience:sense-datum theory0.126
sense-datum theory not sense-datum theory
Humean
6.3%(11/173)
79.1%(137/173)
non-Humean
3.1%(14/442)
84.8%(375/442)
Response pairs: 682   p-value: < 0.001
Time:B-theory0.124
B-theory A-theory
Humean
60%(87/145)
20.6%(30/145)
non-Humean
43%(157/365)
33.4%(122/365)
Response pairs: 563   p-value: 0.003
not Knowledge claims:invariantism0.116
invariantism not invariantism
Humean
27.9%(55/197)
62.9%(124/197)
non-Humean
42.3%(203/479)
46.9%(225/479)
Response pairs: 749   p-value: 0.001
Knowledge claims:contextualism0.113
contextualism not contextualism
Humean
56.8%(112/197)
34%(67/197)
non-Humean
42.3%(203/479)
46.9%(225/479)
Response pairs: 749   p-value: 0.001
not External world:non-skeptical realism0.107
non-skeptical realism not non-skeptical realism
Humean
77.8%(176/226)
16.3%(37/226)
non-Humean
85.3%(466/546)
12.2%(67/546)
Response pairs: 852   p-value: 0.001
God:atheism0.099
atheism theism
Humean
81.1%(185/228)
11.4%(26/228)
non-Humean
71.7%(391/545)
20.1%(110/545)
Response pairs: 854   p-value: 0.003
Free will:compatibilism0.095
compatibilism not compatibilism
Humean
68%(151/222)
25.2%(56/222)
non-Humean
58.5%(313/535)
33.6%(180/535)
Response pairs: 839   p-value: 0.005
External world:idealism0.093
idealism not idealism
Humean
3.5%(8/226)
90.7%(205/226)
non-Humean
4.5%(25/546)
93%(508/546)
Response pairs: 852   p-value: 0.006
Free will:no free will0.088
no free will free will
Humean
16.2%(36/222)
77%(171/222)
non-Humean
11%(59/535)
81.1%(434/535)
Response pairs: 839   p-value: 0.01
Knowledge claims:relativism0.079
relativism not relativism
Humean
5%(10/197)
85.7%(169/197)
non-Humean
2%(10/479)
87.2%(418/479)
Response pairs: 749   p-value: 0.03
Trolley problem:don't switch0.076
don't switch switch
Humean
9.9%(21/212)
75%(159/212)
non-Humean
7.9%(41/516)
77.9%(402/516)
Response pairs: 807   p-value: 0.03
not Personal identity:further-fact view0.076
further-fact view not further-fact view
Humean
9.5%(19/198)
70.2%(139/198)
non-Humean
17.1%(84/491)
63.7%(313/491)
Response pairs: 763   p-value: 0.035
not Politics:communitarianism0.069
communitarianism not communitarianism
Humean
16%(32/200)
70%(140/200)
non-Humean
19.7%(88/445)
62.2%(277/445)
Response pairs: 707   p-value: 0.066
Zombies:inconceivable0.068
inconceivable not inconceivable
Humean
21.4%(44/205)
68.2%(140/205)
non-Humean
16.6%(83/498)
70.4%(351/498)
Response pairs: 773   p-value: 0.058
Politics:egalitarianism0.066
egalitarianism not egalitarianism
Humean
48.5%(97/200)
37.5%(75/200)
non-Humean
40.2%(179/445)
41.7%(186/445)
Response pairs: 707   p-value: 0.079
Moral motivation:internalism0.063
internalism externalism
Humean
49.1%(92/187)
32%(60/187)
non-Humean
45.2%(212/469)
40%(188/469)
Response pairs: 724   p-value: 0.09
Perceptual experience:representationalism0.059
representationalism not representationalism
Humean
45.6%(79/173)
39.8%(69/173)
non-Humean
41.8%(185/442)
46.1%(204/442)
Response pairs: 682   p-value: 0.123
Proper names:Fregean0.056
Fregean Millian
Humean
35.7%(69/193)
47.6%(92/193)
non-Humean
35.8%(172/480)
49.1%(236/480)
Response pairs: 743   p-value: 0.127

Philosophical orientation

Answer Corrrelation coefficient
xian:Hume0.31
Hume not Hume
Humean
32.4%(75/231)
67.5%(156/231)
non-Humean
8.5%(47/550)
91.4%(503/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: < 0.001
not AOS:Metaphysics0.129
Metaphysics not Metaphysics
Humean
19.9%(46/231)
80%(185/231)
non-Humean
30.9%(170/550)
69%(380/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: < 0.001
xian:Lewis0.123
Lewis not Lewis
Humean
13.4%(31/231)
86.5%(200/231)
non-Humean
5.6%(31/550)
94.3%(519/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: < 0.001
AOS:Philosophy of Biology0.122
Philosophy of Biology not Philosophy of Biology
Humean
8.6%(20/231)
91.3%(211/231)
non-Humean
2.1%(12/550)
97.8%(538/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: < 0.001
xian:Quine0.122
Quine not Quine
Humean
11.2%(26/231)
88.7%(205/231)
non-Humean
5%(28/550)
94.9%(522/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: < 0.001
not AOS:Philosophy of Religion0.103
Philosophy of Religion not Philosophy of Religion
Humean
3%(7/231)
96.9%(224/231)
non-Humean
6.7%(37/550)
93.2%(513/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.002
not xian:Aristotle0.101
Aristotle not Aristotle
Humean
9%(21/231)
90.9%(210/231)
non-Humean
15.4%(85/550)
84.5%(465/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.002
not xian:Moore0.1
Moore not Moore
Humean
~0.4%(~1/231)
~99.5%(~230/231)
non-Humean
3.8%(21/550)
96.1%(529/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.003
AOS:Logic and Philosophy of Logic0.099
Logic and Philosophy of Logic not Logic and Philosophy of Logic
Humean
15.5%(36/231)
84.4%(195/231)
non-Humean
8.1%(45/550)
91.8%(505/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.003
not xian:Locke0.098
Locke not Locke
Humean
1.7%(4/231)
98.2%(227/231)
non-Humean
5.2%(29/550)
94.7%(521/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.003
AOS:Decision Theory0.095
Decision Theory not Decision Theory
Humean
6.4%(15/231)
93.5%(216/231)
non-Humean
2.3%(13/550)
97.6%(537/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.005
AOS:General Philosophy of Science0.092
General Philosophy of Science not General Philosophy of Science
Humean
16.8%(39/231)
83.1%(192/231)
non-Humean
8.7%(48/550)
91.2%(502/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.006
xian:Nietzsche0.085
Nietzsche not Nietzsche
Humean
4.3%(10/231)
95.6%(221/231)
non-Humean
1.4%(8/550)
98.5%(542/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.012
not AOS:Philosophy of Mind0.084
Philosophy of Mind not Philosophy of Mind
Humean
14.2%(33/231)
85.7%(198/231)
non-Humean
23.2%(128/550)
76.7%(422/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.013
xian:Mill0.071
Mill not Mill
Humean
6.9%(16/231)
93%(215/231)
non-Humean
3%(17/550)
96.9%(533/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.036
xian:Carnap0.061
Carnap not Carnap
Humean
8.2%(19/231)
91.7%(212/231)
non-Humean
4%(22/550)
96%(528/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.073
not AOS:Philosophy of Action0.061
Philosophy of Action not Philosophy of Action
Humean
3%(7/231)
96.9%(224/231)
non-Humean
5.2%(29/550)
94.7%(521/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.073
AOS:Philosophy of Mathematics0.058
Philosophy of Mathematics not Philosophy of Mathematics
Humean
6%(14/231)
93.9%(217/231)
non-Humean
3%(17/550)
96.9%(533/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.088
not xian:Hegel0.058
Hegel not Hegel
Humean
~0.4%(~1/231)
~99.5%(~230/231)
non-Humean
2.3%(13/550)
97.6%(537/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.088
not xian:Kant0.056
Kant not Kant
Humean
9%(21/231)
90.9%(210/231)
non-Humean
14.1%(78/550)
85.8%(472/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.099
not xian:Plato0.052
Plato not Plato
Humean
2.5%(6/231)
97.4%(225/231)
non-Humean
5.2%(29/550)
94.7%(521/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.126
not AOS:Epistemology0.051
Epistemology not Epistemology
Humean
13.8%(32/231)
86.1%(199/231)
non-Humean
18.7%(103/550)
81.2%(447/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.134

Background questions

Answer Corrrelation coefficient
year_of_phd0.158
year_of_phd ≥ median year_of_phd < median
Humean
60.3%(108/179)
39.6%(71/179)
non-Humean
41.4%(173/417)
58.5%(244/417)
Response pairs: 666   p-value: < 0.001
year_of_birth0.146
year_of_birth ≥ median year_of_birth < median
Humean
56.4%(122/216)
43.5%(94/216)
non-Humean
43.8%(227/518)
56.1%(291/518)
Response pairs: 808   p-value: < 0.001
gender:female0.109
female male
Humean
24.7%(55/222)
75.2%(167/222)
non-Humean
15.1%(79/521)
84.8%(442/521)
Response pairs: 818   p-value: 0.001
nationality_region:Europe0.076
Europe not Europe
Humean
17.3%(40/231)
82.6%(191/231)
non-Humean
10.1%(56/550)
89.8%(494/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.025
phd_region:Australasia0.058
Australasia not Australasia
Humean
3.8%(9/231)
96.1%(222/231)
non-Humean
2.3%(13/550)
97.6%(537/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.088
not affil:region:Canada0.05
Canada not Canada
Humean
6.4%(15/231)
93.5%(216/231)
non-Humean
8.9%(49/550)
91%(501/550)
Response pairs: 864   p-value: 0.141