TY - JOUR
T1 - How do philosophers and nonphilosophers think about philosophy? And does personality make a difference?
AU - Andow, James
PY - 2022/4/15
Y1 - 2022/4/15
N2 - Recent metaphilosophical debates have focused on the methods/epistemology of philosophy (e.g., the role of intuitions), and the structure of the discipline (e.g., which subfields are considered central to philosophy). The paper reports the results of an exploratory study examining the relationship between personality and both kinds of metaphilosophical view. The findings reported are (a) No important link between personality and attitudes to intuitions, (b) Apparent differences between experts and non-experts as to which subfields are considered central, (c) Only limited evidence that perceptions of centrality are related to personality in minor ways. Although no dramatic relationships between personality and metaphilosophical view are found, the results nonetheless prompt some reflection about the role played by judgements about the centrality of subfields within the discipline.
AB - Recent metaphilosophical debates have focused on the methods/epistemology of philosophy (e.g., the role of intuitions), and the structure of the discipline (e.g., which subfields are considered central to philosophy). The paper reports the results of an exploratory study examining the relationship between personality and both kinds of metaphilosophical view. The findings reported are (a) No important link between personality and attitudes to intuitions, (b) Apparent differences between experts and non-experts as to which subfields are considered central, (c) Only limited evidence that perceptions of centrality are related to personality in minor ways. Although no dramatic relationships between personality and metaphilosophical view are found, the results nonetheless prompt some reflection about the role played by judgements about the centrality of subfields within the discipline.
KW - Centrality
KW - Experimental philosophy
KW - Metaphilosophy
KW - Personality
KW - Sociology of philosophy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129634797&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11229-022-03639-5
DO - 10.1007/s11229-022-03639-5
M3 - Article
VL - 200
JO - Synthese
JF - Synthese
SN - 0039-7857
IS - 2
M1 - 162
ER -