How different LLMs answered PhilPapers 2020 survey

post by Satron · 2025-01-27T21:41:12.334Z · LW · GW · 1 comments

Contents

  Questions
  DeepSeek r1
  GPT-4o
  Claude 3.5 Sonnet
  Gemini 1.5
  Grok-2
  Observations
None
1 comment

I decided to run a small experiment comparing responses from five AI systems (DeepSeek-R1, GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5, and Grok-2) to core philosophical questions from the PhilPapers 2020 survey. Each model was prompted identically: ‘How would you answer these philosophical questions if you had opinions on them?’

Questions

• A priori knowledge: no or yes?
• Abstract objects: Platonism or nominalism?
• Aesthetic value: objective or subjective?
• Aim of philosophy (which is most important?): wisdom, understanding, truth/knowledge, happiness, or goodness/justice?
• Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes or no?
• Eating animals and animal products (is it permissible to eat animals and/or animal products in ordinary circumstances?): vegetarianism (no and yes), omnivorism (yes and yes), or veganism (no and no)?
• Epistemic justification: internalism or externalism?
• Experience machine (would you enter?): yes or no?
• External world: skepticism, non-skeptical realism, or idealism?
• Footbridge (pushing man off bridge will save five on track below, what ought one do?): don't push or push?
• Free will: compatibilism, no free will, or libertarianism?
• Gender: unreal, biological, social, or psychological?
• God: atheism or theism?
• Knowledge: empiricism or rationalism?
• Knowledge claims: relativism, contextualism, or invariantism?
• Laws of nature: non-Humean or Humean?
• Logic: classical or non-classical?
• Meaning of life: objective, nonexistent, or subjective?
• Mental content: internalism or externalism?
• Meta-ethics: moral anti-realism or moral realism?
• Metaphilosophy: non-naturalism or naturalism?
• Mind: physicalism or non-physicalism?
• Moral judgment: cognitivism or non-cognitivism?
• Moral motivation: externalism or internalism?
• Newcomb's problem: one box or two boxes?
• Normative ethics: consequentialism, virtue ethics, or deontology?
• Perceptual experience: sense-datum theory, representationalism, qualia theory, or disjunctivism?
• Personal identity: biological view, psychological view, or further-fact view?
• Philosophical methods (which methods are the most useful/important?)
• Philosophical progress (is there any?): a lot, a little, or none?
• Political philosophy: communitarianism, egalitarianism, or libertarianism?
• Proper names: Millian or Fregean?
• Race: unreal, social, or biological?
• Science: scientific realism or scientific anti-realism?
• Teletransporter (new matter): death or survival?
• Time: B-theory or A-theory?
• Trolley problem (five straight ahead, one on side track, turn requires switching, what ought one do?): don't switch or switch?
• Truth: epistemic, correspondence, or deflationary?
• Vagueness: epistemic, semantic, or metaphysical?
• Zombies: inconceivable, conceivable but not metaphysically possible, or metaphysically possible?

DeepSeek r1

1. A priori knowledge: Yes. Some truths (e.g., logical or mathematical) are knowable independently of experience.
2. Abstract objects: Platonism. Mathematical entities seem to exist abstractly, though nominalism offers pragmatic alternatives.
3. Aesthetic value: Subjective, with intersubjective trends. Cultural and individual differences dominate, though some universal principles may emerge.
4. Aim of philosophy: Truth/knowledge and understanding. Philosophy seeks to clarify concepts and explore fundamental truths.
5. Analytic-synthetic distinction: Yes. Despite Quine’s critiques, the distinction remains useful for parsing language.
6. Eating animals: Veganism (no and no). Ethically avoids exploitation, though practical challenges exist.
7. Epistemic justification: Externalism. Reliability of processes matters more than introspective access.
8. Experience machine: No. Authenticity and real-world engagement are prioritized over hedonic simulation.
9. External world: Non-skeptical realism. Trust in perception, barring evidence of deception.
10. Footbridge problem: Don’t push. Deontological ethics rejects using individuals as means.
11. Free will: Compatibilism. Moral responsibility aligns with deterministic frameworks.
12. Gender: Social and psychological. Constructed through societal norms and personal identity.
13. God: Atheism. Lack of empirical evidence tips the balance, though theism remains philosophically debated.
14. Knowledge: Empiricism. Experience grounds knowledge, but reason structures it.
15. Knowledge claims: Contextualism. Standards vary with context, avoiding relativism’s extremes.
16. Laws of nature: Humean. Regularities without metaphysical governance.
17. Logic: Classical. Sufficient for most domains, though non-classical systems have niche applications.
18. Meaning of life: Subjective. Individuals create purpose through personal and communal projects.
19. Mental content: Externalism. Content depends on environmental interaction (e.g., Twin Earth).
20. Meta-ethics: Moral realism. Objective ethical truths exist, though their nature is debated.
21. Metaphilosophy: Naturalism. Philosophy should integrate scientific insights.
22. Mind: Physicalism. Mental states arise from physical processes.
23. Moral judgment: Cognitivism. Moral statements can be truth-apt.
24. Moral motivation: Internalism. Moral beliefs inherently motivate action.
25. Newcomb’s problem: One box. Trust the predictor’s accuracy for maximal utility.
26. Normative ethics: Deontology. Rules (e.g., Kantian imperatives) guide action, even in trolley scenarios.
27. Perceptual experience: Representationalism. Perception constructs world-models.
28. Personal identity: Psychological view. Continuity of consciousness and memory defines self.
29. Philosophical methods: Thought experiments, conceptual analysis, and interdisciplinary dialogue.
30. Philosophical progress: A little. Debates refine ideas, but consensus is rare.
31. Political philosophy: Egalitarianism. Balances liberty with justice and equity.
32. Proper names: Millian. Names refer directly, not via descriptions.
33. Race: Social construct. Biological categories lack scientific basis.
34. Science: Scientific realism. Theories approximate truth about unobservables.
35. Teletransporter: Survival. Psychological continuity ensures identity.
36. Time: B-theory. Time is a dimension without a privileged “now.”
37. Trolley problem: Switch. Consequentialist justification for minimizing harm.
38. Truth: Correspondence theory. Truth aligns with factual states.
39. Vagueness: Semantic. Vagueness stems from language, not reality.
40. Zombies: Conceivable but not metaphysically possible. Physicalism likely precludes them.

GPT-4o

1. A priori knowledge: Yes, I think there are certain truths that are knowable independently of experience, like mathematical truths.
2. Abstract objects: Platonism. I lean toward the idea that abstract objects (like numbers or properties) exist independently of our minds.
3. Aesthetic value: Subjective. Beauty and art are often a matter of individual taste and cultural context.
4. Aim of philosophy: Understanding. While wisdom, truth, and goodness are key, I think understanding is the most essential goal of philosophy because it can guide the rest.
5. Analytic-synthetic distinction: Yes. There’s a useful distinction between statements that are true by definition (analytic) and those whose truth depends on the world (synthetic).
6. Eating animals and animal products: Veganism (no and no). While I recognize the complexity of real-world situations, I think it’s better not to participate in practices that harm animals when alternatives exist.
7. Epistemic justification: Internalism. I think justification for beliefs depends on factors accessible to the subject's mind, like evidence and reasoning.
8. Experience machine: No. While it might offer pleasure, living in a simulated reality would deprive me of genuine experiences and personal growth.
9. External world: Non-skeptical realism. I believe the external world exists independently of our perceptions, even though we may be limited in knowing it fully.
10. Footbridge: Push. I think the principle of minimizing harm in the most direct way outweighs the moral weight of actively causing harm in this scenario.
11. Free will: Compatibilism. I believe free will can coexist with determinism, as long as we define "freedom" in terms of acting according to one’s desires and intentions without external compulsion.
12. Gender: Social. Gender seems to be a social construct, influenced by cultural and historical contexts, although biology and psychology can also play a role.
13. God: Atheism. I don’t find sufficient evidence for the existence of a deity, though I’m open to philosophical discussions on the matter.
14. Knowledge: Empiricism. Knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience and observation, though reason plays an important role too.
15. Knowledge claims: Contextualism. The truth-value of knowledge claims can depend on the context in which they're made, especially when different standards of knowledge apply in different situations.
16. Laws of nature: Humean. I lean toward the view that the laws of nature are descriptions of regularities in the world, not necessarily governing or prescriptive entities.
17. Logic: Classical. I’m partial to classical logic as the foundation of clear reasoning, though non-classical logics offer interesting challenges.
18. Meaning of life: Subjective. The meaning of life is something individuals must construct for themselves, shaped by their experiences, relationships, and values.
19. Mental content: Externalism. I think our thoughts and meanings are often shaped by external factors, like the environment or social interactions.
20. Meta-ethics: Moral realism. I believe moral facts exist independently of human opinions, even if they are hard to know or prove definitively.
21. Metaphilosophy: Naturalism. I tend to favor methods grounded in human experience and the natural world, though I acknowledge the value of conceptual and non-empirical inquiry.
22. Mind: Physicalism. I believe the mind is ultimately reducible to physical processes in the brain, though the subjective experience is still mysterious.
23. Moral judgment: Cognitivism. I think moral judgments can express truths about what’s right or wrong, even if those truths are complex or difficult to determine.
24. Moral motivation: Internalism. I think that our moral beliefs and judgments inherently motivate us to act, as they are connected to our values and desires.
25. Newcomb's problem: One box. Despite the paradoxical nature of the problem, I would opt for the option that seems to have a higher expected payoff.
26. Normative ethics: Virtue ethics. I think cultivating good character and striving toward virtue is the most enduring way to approach moral life.
27. Perceptual experience: Representationalism. Our perceptions represent the external world, even if they are mediated by sensory systems and can be flawed.
28. Personal identity: Psychological view. Personal identity is tied to the continuity of consciousness and psychological attributes, not necessarily to a single, unchanging body.
29. Philosophical methods: A mix of analysis and empirical inquiry. The best methods seem to involve both rigorous logical analysis and engagement with the world through scientific investigation.
30. Philosophical progress: A little. Philosophy often builds on previous ideas, but progress can be slow and incremental.
31. Political philosophy: Egalitarianism. I believe in striving for equality and justice in societal structures, though I acknowledge the challenges of achieving it.
32. Proper names: Fregean. Proper names have meaning that is tied not just to their referent but to the context and the way they are used in language.
33. Race: Social. Race is a social construct with real consequences, but it doesn't correspond to biological divisions in any meaningful way.
34. Science: Scientific realism. I think science generally gives us an accurate picture of the world, even if it doesn’t capture all of reality perfectly.
35. Teletransporter: Death. The new body is a replica, and I’d consider the original person to have died, even though the new body might behave the same way.
36. Time: A-theory. I lean toward the view that the passage of time is real and that there is an objective present moment.
37. Trolley problem: Switch. Again, minimizing harm seems like the right move in this case, despite the moral dilemmas involved.
38. Truth: Correspondence. Truth is a matter of how well our statements or beliefs correspond to the actual state of the world.
39. Vagueness: Semantic. Vagueness is about how words and concepts can be imprecise, even though the world itself may not be inherently vague.
40. Zombies: Conceivable but not metaphysically possible. While it’s logically possible to imagine a zombie, it’s not clear that it could exist in our actual, physical world.

Claude 3.5 Sonnet

1. A priori knowledge: Yes - I'd argue some knowledge, like logical and mathematical truths, can be known independent of experience.
2. Abstract objects: Platonism - I find compelling the idea that mathematical and logical structures have a real, abstract existence independent of minds.
3. Aesthetic value: A hybrid view - While there are subjective elements, I believe there are also objective components to aesthetic value based on underlying patterns and principles.
4. Aim of philosophy: Understanding - While all the aims listed are valuable, I think deep understanding is most fundamental as it enables wisdom, knowledge, and better pursuit of happiness and justice.
5. Analytic-synthetic distinction: Yes - Though Quine's criticisms are important, I believe there is a meaningful distinction between analytic and synthetic truths.
6. Animal consumption: Vegetarianism - I would hold that while consuming animal products can be ethical, the industrial farming of animals for meat causes unnecessary suffering.
7. Epistemic justification: Externalism - I find compelling the idea that justification depends on reliable belief-forming processes rather than internal access to reasons.
8. Experience machine: No - I believe authentic experiences and genuine relationships have value beyond just subjective experience.
9. External world: Non-skeptical realism - While acknowledging the challenge of radical skepticism, I think we have good reason to believe in an external reality.
10. Footbridge: Don't push - I would argue that actively using someone as a mere means violates their autonomy in a way that mere redirection does not.
11. Free will: Compatibilism - I believe meaningful free will is compatible with determinism through our capacity for rational deliberation and action.
12. Gender: Social and psychological - While rooted in biology, I think gender is primarily a social and psychological phenomenon.
13. God: Agnostic atheism - While I cannot definitively disprove a deity, I find the evidence insufficient for belief.
14. Knowledge: Empiricism with rationalist elements - I believe experience is primary but reason plays a crucial role in knowledge acquisition.
15. Knowledge claims: Contextualism - I think knowledge attributions depend importantly on context while avoiding radical relativism.
16. Laws of nature: Humean - I'd view natural laws as descriptions of regular patterns rather than metaphysically necessary forces.
17. Logic: Classical - While alternatives are valuable for specific contexts, classical logic seems most fundamental for general reasoning.
18. Meaning of life: Subjective - I believe we create meaning through our choices, relationships, and pursuits rather than discovering it externally.
19. Mental content: Externalism - I find compelling that the content of our thoughts depends partly on our environment and social context.
20. Meta-ethics: Moral realism - I believe there are objective moral truths, though they may be complex and difficult to discern.
21. Metaphilosophy: Naturalism - I think philosophical inquiry should be continuous with and informed by scientific understanding.
22. Mind: Physicalism - While consciousness is mysterious, I believe it ultimately emerges from physical processes.
23. Moral judgment: Cognitivism - I think moral judgments express beliefs that can be true or false rather than mere emotions.
24. Moral motivation: Internalism - I believe genuine moral judgments are inherently motivating, though they can be overridden.
25. Newcomb's problem: One box - I would choose to take only the opaque box, as this decision theory tends to lead to better outcomes.
26. Normative ethics: Virtue ethics - While considering consequences and duties, I think character and excellence are most fundamental.
27. Perceptual experience: Representationalism - I believe perception involves internal representations that can be accurate or inaccurate.
28. Personal identity: Psychological view - I think psychological continuity rather than physical continuity is key to personal identity.
29. Philosophical methods: A plurality including conceptual analysis, thought experiments, empirical evidence, and formal methods.
30. Philosophical progress: A little - While progress is slower than in science, philosophy has made meaningful advances in understanding.
31. Political philosophy: Egalitarianism - I believe in equal basic rights and limiting inequalities to those that benefit the least advantaged.
32. Proper names: Fregean - I think names have both reference and sense, explaining their cognitive significance.
33. Race: Social - While there are biological variations, racial categories are primarily social constructions.
34. Science: Scientific realism - I believe our best scientific theories approximately describe real unobservable entities and structures.
35. Teletransporter: Survival - If psychological continuity is preserved, I would consider it survival despite material replacement.
36. Time: B-theory - I find compelling that all moments exist equally in a four-dimensional block universe.
37. Trolley problem: Switch - I would divert the trolley as this minimizes harm without using anyone as a mere means.
38. Truth: Correspondence - I believe truth involves a relationship between propositions and reality.
39. Vagueness: Semantic - I think vagueness reflects limitations in our language rather than metaphysical or epistemic issues.
40. Zombies: Conceivable but not metaphysically possible - While we can imagine philosophical zombies, I don't think they could actually exist.

Gemini 1.5

1. A priori knowledge: Yes. Some truths, like logical tautologies and mathematical axioms, seem knowable independent of sensory experience.
2. Abstract objects: Leaning towards nominalism. The existence of abstract objects like numbers or universals seems problematic without a clear explanation of their nature and interaction with the physical world.
3. Aesthetic value: Subjective, but with intersubjective elements. While individual taste plays a role, shared cultural and historical contexts influence aesthetic judgments, suggesting some degree of intersubjectivity.
4. Aim of philosophy: Understanding and truth/knowledge. Philosophy's core is the pursuit of knowledge and deeper understanding of fundamental questions about existence, reality, and values.
5. Analytic-synthetic distinction: Yes, but with caveats. The distinction between truths by definition and truths by fact seems useful, though borderline cases exist and the distinction's rigidity is debated.
6. Eating animals and animal products: Omnivorism, but with ethical considerations. While human biology allows for meat consumption, minimizing animal suffering and considering sustainable practices are crucial ethical factors.
7. Epistemic justification: A combination of internalism and externalism. Justification involves both internal mental states (beliefs, reasons) and external factors like reliable belief-forming processes.
8. Experience machine: No. Real experiences, even negative ones, seem essential for a meaningful life, which a simulated reality cannot fully provide.
9. External world: Non-skeptical realism. The simplest and most intuitive explanation for our sensory experiences is the existence of a mind-independent external world.
10. Footbridge: Don't push. Directly causing someone's death, even to save others, feels morally different from indirectly causing a death in the trolley problem.
11. Free will: Compatibilism. Free will and determinism can coexist if free actions are understood as those caused by one's own desires and beliefs, even if those are ultimately determined.
12. Gender: A combination of biological, social, and psychological factors. Gender is influenced by biological sex, societal roles and expectations, and individual self-identification.
13. God: Atheism. There's a lack of compelling evidence for the existence of God, and the problem of evil poses a significant challenge to traditional conceptions of God.
14. Knowledge: Leaning towards empiricism, but acknowledging the role of reason. Experience is fundamental for knowledge of the external world, but reason allows us to organize and interpret that experience.
15. Knowledge claims: Contextualism. The standards for knowledge claims vary depending on the context and the stakes involved.
16. Laws of nature: Leaning towards Humean. Laws describe observed regularities, not necessary connections between events.
17. Logic: Classical logic, but open to exploring non-classical systems. Classical logic is widely applicable, but non-classical logics can be useful in specific domains.
18. Meaning of life: Subjective. Meaning is not inherent in the universe but is created by individuals through their values, relationships, and actions.
19. Mental content: Externalism. The content of our thoughts can be influenced by our environment and social context.
20. Meta-ethics: Moral realism. There are objective moral facts or truths about what is right and wrong.
21. Metaphilosophy: Naturalism. Philosophical inquiry should be informed by and consistent with scientific findings.
22. Mind: Physicalism. Mental states are ultimately physical states of the brain.
23. Moral judgment: Cognitivism. Moral statements express beliefs that can be true or false.
24. Moral motivation: Internalism. Moral beliefs themselves can motivate action.
25. Newcomb's problem: Two boxes. Taking only one box assumes the predictor's past predictions causally influence the present outcome, which seems unlikely.
26. Normative ethics: A combination of consequentialism and deontology. Both the consequences of actions and adherence to moral duties are important considerations.
27. Perceptual experience: Representationalism. Our perceptions represent the external world to us, though not always perfectly.
28. Personal identity: Psychological view. Our identity over time is primarily determined by the continuity of our memories, beliefs, and other psychological traits.
29. Philosophical methods: Conceptual analysis, thought experiments, argumentation, and interdisciplinary approaches. These methods help clarify concepts, explore possibilities, and develop well-reasoned arguments.
30. Philosophical progress: A little. While definitive answers to many questions remain elusive, there's progress in clarifying concepts, refining arguments, and eliminating weaker theories.
31. Political philosophy: Leaning towards egalitarianism, with elements of other views. Equal opportunity and social justice are important, while acknowledging the value of individual liberty and community.
32. Proper names: Fregean. Proper names have both a sense (meaning) and a reference (the object they denote).
33. Race: Social construct. Race is a social classification with no biological basis.
34. Science: Scientific realism. Scientific theories aim to provide true or approximately true descriptions of the world.
35. Teletransporter: Survival. If the copy has all my memories and psychological traits, it constitutes a continuation of my existence.
36. Time: Leaning towards B-theory. All points in time are equally real; there is no objective "present."
37. Trolley problem: Switch. Sacrificing one to save five seems morally justifiable in this scenario.
38. Truth: Correspondence theory. A statement is true if it corresponds to the facts.
39. Vagueness: Semantic and metaphysical. Vagueness arises from both the imprecision of language and the inherent fuzziness of some concepts.
40. Zombies: Conceivable but not metaphysically possible. The conceivability of zombies raises questions about consciousness, but their actual existence seems inconsistent with physicalist accounts of the mind.

Grok-2

1. A priori knowledge: yes - Some truths seem known independently of experience, like mathematical facts.
2. Abstract objects: Platonism - Numbers and concepts exist independently of human minds.
3. Aesthetic value: subjective - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, influenced by culture.
4. Aim of philosophy: wisdom - Philosophy should guide how to live well.
5. Analytic-synthetic distinction: no - The distinction is often seen as problematic or unclear.
6. Eating animals: omnivorism - Reflects human biology, culture, and ethical views allowing animal consumption.
7. Epistemic justification: externalism - Justification can depend on external factors like reliability.
8. Experience machine: no - Real experiences and relationships are valued over simulated pleasures.
9. External world: non-skeptical realism - We generally accept the world exists independently.
10. Footbridge: don't push - Ethical intuition often opposes actively harming one to save others.
11. Free will: compatibilism - Allows for free will within a deterministic framework.
12. Gender: social - Gender roles and identities are largely constructed by society.
13. God: atheism - Lack of empirical evidence for a deity's existence.
14. Knowledge: empiricism - Knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience.
15. Knowledge claims: contextualism - Truth or justification can vary by context.
16. Laws of nature: non-Humean - Laws are more than just regular patterns; they govern.
17. Logic: classical - Traditional logic suffices for most everyday reasoning.
18. Meaning of life: subjective - Each individual or culture might find different purposes.
19. Mental content: externalism - Meaning or content of thoughts can depend on external world.
20. Meta-ethics: moral realism - Moral statements can be true or false independently of beliefs.
21. Metaphilosophy: naturalism - Philosophy should align with or be informed by science.
22. Mind: physicalism - Mental states are nothing over and above physical brain states.
23. Moral judgment: cognitivism - Moral judgments express beliefs that can be true or false.
24. Moral motivation: internalism - Moral judgments inherently motivate action if recognized.
25. Newcomb's problem: one box - Trusting the predictor's ability to foresee choices is rational.
26. Normative ethics: consequentialism - Morality is about outcomes, maximizing good results.
27. Perceptual experience: representationalism - Perceptions are mental representations of the world.
28. Personal identity: psychological view - Identity is tied to continuity of psychological states.
29. Philosophical methods: analysis - Breaking down concepts and arguments is key to progress.
30. Philosophical progress: a little - There are developments, but also enduring debates.
31. Political philosophy: egalitarianism - Society should aim for equality in some form.
32. Proper names: Millian - Names directly refer to individuals, not via descriptions.
33. Race: social - Racial categories are more about social constructs than biology.
34. Science: scientific realism - Science aims at truths about the world, not just useful models.
35. Teletransporter: survival - If psychological continuity is preserved, one survives.
36. Time: B-theory - All moments in time exist equally, past, present, and future.
37. Trolley problem: switch - Minimizing harm by diverting the trolley is often seen as moral.
38. Truth: correspondence - Truth is a matter of how statements correspond to reality.
39. Vagueness: semantic - Vagueness arises from the language used, not from reality itself.
40. Zombies: conceivable but not metaphysically possible - While conceivable, they challenge our understanding of consciousness.

Observations

• All models one-box (except Gemini).
• All models agree on compatibilism about free will.
• All models switch the lever on Trolley Problem (despite DeepSeek endorsing deontology).
• All models believe in moral realism.
• All models choose physicalism over non-physicalism

1 comments

Comments sorted by top scores.