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.